Returning to Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona for the fourth consecutive year was a truly exhilarating experience. Set against the captivating backdrop of Barcelona’s dynamic landscape, this year’s event brought together industry leaders and forward-thinkers to delve into the latest innovations. From the forefront of Greentech/Cleantech to the boundless domains of Space Tech and Metaverse, I’m happy to share my key takeaways and potential collaboration opportunities from each sector.
Across four action-packed days, I immersed myself in inspiration and invaluable networking opportunities.
Day 1: Exploring Green Tech Advancements and Tech Giants’ Vision
On day one, I focused my energy on Green Tech events showcasing advancements in air, ocean, and land. The event unfolded with keynote speeches by industry titans like Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, Brad Smith from Microsoft, and Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies. Their speeches resonated deeply, offering profound insights into the future of technology:
- Deepmind’s AlphaFold and Isomorphic Labs heralded a new era in drug discovery, potentially accelerating progress by decades.
- Microsoft’s commitment to AI democratization, showcased through partnerships like Mistral AI, and investments in Data Centres across Europe signifies a pivotal step towards inclusive innovation.
- Dell’s collaboration with AT&T highlights the transformative power of AI and Open Networks within the Telco industry.

Image: Building the new AI economy, Brad Smith
Day 2: Beyond the Metaverse Hype and Embracing Diversity
Day 2 brought a refreshing shift from MWC 2022’s Metaverse focus. In contrast to MWC 2022, debates today were around “is the Metaverse dead?” While some may argue in favour, citing reasons such as the potential redundancy of investing in NFTs and virtual assets across multiple metaverses, the general sentiment remained optimistic.
The introduction of xR wearables by tech giants and the ongoing hype surrounding the metaverse have sparked the emergence of new economies, accompanied by captivating demonstrations of cutting-edge haptics technology both on and off stage. In addition, day two offered valuable insights from strategy sessions focused on building diverse and high-performing teams, providing practical takeaways for implementation. Additionally, I paid a visit to the vibrant Norrsken Barcelona tech hub facilitated constructive meetings with potential future partners.

Image: Diversity4Tech, Measuring Diversity & Inclusion: Setting Goals & Tracking Progress
Days 3 and 4: Unveiling Diverse Tech Frontiers
The final two days were packed with exploration. I visited booths and attended diverse presentations on topics like healthcare/biotech, growth strategies, clean tech, ESG, space education technology and many others.
Growth Strategies
The key takeaway was embracing agility by readily discarding non-performing ideas and services. The stories of Cooltra and Hotels Network, successful scale-ups, served as inspiring examples.
Healthcare/Biotech
While lagging behind other tech sectors in terms of attention and investment, healthcare and biotech hold exciting potential. Challenges and concerns were raised around market accessibility and regulations, with EU potentially being left behind by regulations. Some opportunity areas were shared on specific fields such as neuroscience advancements and middleware to access wider markets.
Space Tech
The space industry witnessed a remarkable reduction in space travel costs, dropping from $85K/kg to $35K/kg today. Competition in the space industry has made this possible, with private companies investing in space stations, satellites, and technology enablers. They are able to take on operations that were previously only possible by NASA and wealthy nations. Data centres dedicated to space missions and AWS’s Edge hardware/software have brought the Cloud to the edge of the world (or beyond!), with 2023 trials at the ISS proving that experiments can now be 20x faster/efficient. Cost efficiencies of space missions is expected to accelerate further, enabling smaller nations (such as Sweden and Turkey) to participate. Nations now have possibilities to create or pick & choose missions with targeted experiments that benefit their nation.
During the panel discussion, Antonio Franchi, a panellist from the European Space Agency (ESA), highlighted the potential of a Lunar Economy, outlining plans to establish a fully operational space station on the moon by 2030. One analogy that resonated with me was the comparison made by a panellist regarding the evolution of the internet. They emphasized that internet access was not readily available when we were children, but investments over the past few decades have made it accessible, leading to our participation in events like Mobile World Congress. Similarly, investing in Space Tech now could pave the way for our children to become part of a Lunar Economy business and even attend a Lunar MWC in the future.
Clean Tech
Top investment locations for clean technology are Silicon Valley (1st), London (2nd), Amsterdam (3rd), and Paris (11th). The UK and Spain showcased their strengths in energy transition, with the UK focusing on deregulated industries. Spain’s government are focusing on Green Hydrogen, Wind Farms, Solar, and Circular Economy with great cases in Seville area.
These presentations highlighted the importance of collaborations between governments, corporations, and startups for success in this sector. With a broad range of technologies falling under the “Green” and “Clean” areas, the opportunities are in adjacencies of the solutions. Amidst these discussions, it’s crucial to consider digital pollution and the broader implications of our digital footprint.

Image: Cleantech Ecosystems: Spain vs UK
Nuclear Energy
USA and South Korea leads the nuclear industry. However, innovation has stagnated with the 3rd generation light water reactor, and nuclear energy has remained at 10% of global energy production over the last five decades.
Did you know that statistically, nuclear energy ranks among the safest in terms of the number of deaths during production and operation? Additionally, there are nuclear reactors designed to prevent meltdowns or explosions. These advancements in safer nuclear technologies could hold the key to achieving more cost-effective and sustainable energy solutions.
A Look Forward
I hope this glimpse into MWC 2024 has been insightful. The event provided invaluable exposure to various technological advancements, sparking ideas and potential collaborations for SCSK {digital}. With a keen eye on the future, we are ready to leverage these insights for continued growth and success.
Author: Hiroto Mason, Head of Strategy & Consulting