The world's largest mobile event, the flagship product of global consumption, is held in Barcelona ... For now. In the calls of operators and manufacturers of smartphones , as in so many others, there is a recurring conversation in recent days: the outbursts of violence that took over the latest independence demonstrations. Possible collateral damage includes 473 million euros and 14,000 temporary jobs generated by the Mobile World Congress (MWC) every year.

The organization of this event, of course, minimizes what happened and breathes optimism. «There is a firm commitment to carry out the MWC in Barcelona until 2023, with a five-year multi-year contract . Now we should renew the period from 2023 to 2028. We will start talking about this issue at the end of next year or the beginning of 2021 », Carlos Grau, CEO of Mobile World Capital, a board of trustees formed by the Spanish Administration, explains to EL MUNDO Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council, together with the world association of the telecommunications sector, GSMA. «The themes of last week are water that we have to pass. The city and the country have shown enormous resilience , ”Grau insists.

On November 19, the board meets. The sources of the sector consulted by this newspaper assume that next February the overwhelming infrastructure will be built in the Fira de Barcelona - «we had paid for the spaces of the 2020 edition before even the end of 2019», they count from a telephone company - but there are several voices that warn that the episodes of violence are going to test the patience of GSMA - "2020, okay, but what about the following", says a director of a manufacturer. GSMA has trusted since 2006 in Barcelona, ​​but before it did so in Geneva and in Nice . Until he opted for a move.

"GSMA has always asked us to take care of two things: security and mobility," Grau acknowledges. The clashes with the police and the collapse of infrastructure such as the Prat airport threaten continuity. The last MWC brought together 109,000 visitors from 198 nationalities, 7,900 of these with the position of CEO. «The MWC has two to four times more impact than other similar events. In Los Angeles, between 25,000 and 30,000 congressmen meet; in Shanghai, between 50,000 and 60,000, "Grau recalls:" Geopolitical factors, such as the US and Chinese trade battle, have made Europe a meeting point where investors on both sides feel comfortable. "

The congresses, fundamental in Barcelona

Not surprisingly, Barcelona stood out until last year as the city that hosts the largest number of congresses, although in the last year it has fallen to fourth place, according to the International Association of Congresses and Conventions (ICCA). Some companies in the sector organize their international conventions precisely in that city, such as the US Qualcomm last week. Dino Flore, vice president of Technology of the company, ironic about it last Tuesday, during his conference at the first 5G National Forum: «The success was such that there were many people on the street to greet us ... the airport was full to receive us », This director joked.

The contract with the GSMA includes other appointments outside the Mobile World Congress and the platform for innovators that runs in parallel, 4 Years from Now: the agreement also includes the Digital Future Society meeting, in Barcelona, ​​and the aforementioned 5G National Forum, in Madrid. " The economic contributions are very firm and the penalties too, " says Grau. Indeed, a breach of contract by GSMA would involve substantial compensation. The Mobile has already survived setbacks such as snow or the deactivation of Uber and Cabify in the Barcelona area, the latter last edition. The political disagreement also brought consequences in the appointment last February, as Mayor Ada Colau and the president of the Generalitat, Quim Torra, avoided Felipe VI in one of the scheduled protocol greetings.

The new standard of mobile communications, 5G, is already marketed in Spain, through Vodafone, and promises an unusual endorsement for the business of networks and telephony, which adds to the inertia with which they advance year after year. year manufacturers. "The event in the end is paid by Huawei, Ericsson, Telefónica ... because they take advantage of that showcase ... It is an asset that everyone wants to protect," says Grau.

Nadia Calviño, acting Minister of Economy, said on the same line on Tuesday: “It is very important for us that Barcelona remains one of the key cities in digitalization and that Mobile stays in our country . I am sure that cooperation between authorities will continue to be total to ensure that Mobile stays in Spain ».

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  • Barcelona
  • Mobile World Congress
  • Spain
  • Quim Torra
  • Uber
  • Nadia Calviño
  • Telefonica
  • Cabify
  • China
  • Europe
  • Huawei
  • Madrid

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