MWC27 Barcelona to add new automotive, health zones

GSMA has announced that MWC27 Barcelona will return to Fira Gran Via.

The event will feature three new dedicated technology spaces for automotive, health and aviation.

The annual mobile and technology industry gathering is expected to bring together companies working in connectivity, cloud, artificial intelligence and data infrastructure. New exhibitors on the show floor will include AWS, ElevenLabs and HP, while Agibot, KDDI, Nokia and Unitree are set to return with larger booths.

The new sector spaces are intended to highlight developments in automotive, healthcare and aviation. Each zone will focus on how connectivity is being applied in those industries, placing established commercial uses alongside emerging technologies.

The three areas are designed as meeting points for industry executives, ecosystem participants and other attendees. They will sit alongside the wider exhibition and conference programme at the Barcelona venue.

Returning features

Other parts of the event are also due to return. These include New Frontiers in Hall 6, with displays focused on frontier AI, robotics and non-terrestrial network satellite connectivity.

4YFN, the start-up event held alongside MWC, will also return. Talent Arena will again be co-located at Fira de Barcelona Montjuïc, while the Sports Tomorrow Congress and the GSMA Ministerial Programme are also scheduled to form part of the broader line-up.

The ministerial programme brings together policymakers and industry leaders focused on mobile and digital policy. Keynotes, specialist summits, conference sessions and live demonstrations are also expected across the show floor.

Theme focus

GSMA has outlined several programme themes, including network development, the commercial deployment of AI, automation in business operations, and the governance and security issues surrounding AI and digital systems.

Other areas of focus include frontier technologies such as space-based networks and next-generation interfaces. The programme is also expected to examine how trust, security and sovereignty are being addressed across the digital economy.

Topics identified by the organiser include "Networks Reinvented", which will examine how networks are changing their role in business and national resilience, and "AI in Action", centred on case studies and operational lessons from deploying AI at scale.

The agenda also includes "Autonomous Enterprise", focused on agentic AI and automation, and "AI of Tomorrow", covering emerging forms of AI as well as ethics, governance and security. "Trust at Scale" and "The Next Era" are also listed among the core themes.

Sianne Ryder, Chief Executive Officer, Events and Industry Services, GSMA, said: "As the world's biggest and most influential connectivity event, MWC27 is a unique gathering place for the global technology community. It unites the world's leading voices on connectivity and digital transformation for a week-long conversation about the ideas, people and partnerships powering tomorrow's connected future. If you haven't yet booked your exhibition stand, or applied to be a speaker, now's the time to."

MWC Barcelona is one of the telecoms and technology sector's largest annual trade events, drawing network operators, equipment makers, cloud groups, software firms, start-ups and public sector representatives. The addition of dedicated spaces for automotive, health and aviation reflects a broader effort to show how communications infrastructure and digital tools are being applied beyond the telecoms sector itself.

Artificial intelligence also has an expanded role across the programme, from practical deployment themes to discussions about sovereign AI, security and oversight. Satellite connectivity, robotics and next-generation interfaces are also set to feature as organisers shape the event around technology areas attracting investment and policy attention.

GSMA also said the GLOMOs, the mobile industry awards programme, will return for its 32nd year.