Future Perfect—Is Barcelona Poised to Become the Next Silicon Valley?
Trendy graphics in cool hues slide hypnotically across giant screens. People pulse through darkened spaces in the Fira Montjüic to an electronic backbeat. A talking green head floats above the main stage, enticing us to “party, party, party.”
It’s not Sónar, but 4YFN (Four Years from Now), the tech equivalent held in parallel with the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 25-27. While MWC is dominated by big names, 4YFN is all about up-and-coming startups. Over three intense, inspiring days, rising stars come together to showcase innovations and connect to resources, corporations and investors.
In just six years, it’s become one of the hottest events in the entrepreneurial calendar and has recently added events in San Francisco and Shanghai. This year, 4YFN Barcelona welcomed 23,000 attendees, 760 companies—including 600 startups—and over 300 speakers, including some big industry names.
Over three days, in rooms lit to give us the pallor of Zuckerberg at a congressional hearing, I learn about advances and implications of AI/robotics, blockchain, women in tech, tech for healthcare, education and finance.
Recurring themes are privacy, security and who owns your online identity (FYI, not you). In exchange for amusing cat videos, we have forked over our data to some of the most powerful corporations that have ever existed.
I hear how machine learning is used to personalize experiences, segment marketing, predict and influence consumer behavior. How “gamification” is the buzzword in diverse industries keen to find new ways of holding our frazzled attention spans.
At a live biohacking event, everyone cringes as a young man named Edgar boldly goes where few have gone before. After having a chip inserted under his skin, Edgar can now move money and open his flat with a wave of his hand.
The host conducts a quick poll: how many would be implanted with “digital bling?” A fifth of the room raises a hand. The following day, during a debate on transhumanism, approximately the same number declares in favor of cryogenic freezing. I feel like I’ve gone from Black Mirror to Futurama.
Out in the hall, I talk to local entrepreneurs. Approximately one-third of exhibitors are Spanish, including 120 Catalan startups. Barcelona is fast becoming a tech hub, thanks in part to resources and promotion from Barcelona Activa, the Generalitat and Barcelona Tech City, among others. Part of the program highlights home-grown success stories and on more than one occasion I hear the phrase “future Silicon Valley of Europe.”
I witness “meat” being 3D printed, legs that allow the paralyzed to walk, glasses that give sight to the blind (well, visually impaired). I learn about innovations to monitor health, share experiences, find a job, recycle, bank, shop, travel, eat, play, love… I discover a water purifier that runs off a smartphone battery. Its inventor claims it can not only supply clean water to an entire village but even improves Barcelona tap water!
Main Takeaways:
Don’t Rage Against the Machine
For good tech to be great, it has to serve people and solve their problems. Rather than replace us, AI will free us to do what we’re best at. Think less Terminator, more Genie from Aladdin (and just make sure you are good at something else).
Joking aside, the scary part is the human factor. When driverless cars decide who to save in an accident, how do we ensure they aren’t influenced by programmers’ values?
Digital Serfdom Is Real
Recurring themes are privacy, security and who owns your online identity (FYI, not you). In exchange for amusing cat videos, we have forked over our data to some of the most powerful corporations that have ever existed. The digital age is here to stay; is this how we want to continue?
Companies, Ignore Mobile Commerce at Your Peril
We now mostly access the Internet through mobile devices, and everybody hates mobile websites. People view an average of 38 sites when booking travel, for example, but nobody looks at 38 apps. Nor do they download a second app once they find one they like. This, as Americans say, is a no-brainer.
Digital Talent Holds the Keys to the City
Barcelona is proving popular with tech companies due to a favorable business ecosystem, highly qualified professionals, competitive salaries and ease of attracting employees to the city. The sector is growing so fast globally that recruiters report a lack of available talent. So whether you want to launch your startup or get hired, you’ve come to the right place.
On day three, enthused and exhausted, I emerge into the late afternoon sunshine. I head for the metro, reflecting on everything I’ve seen, particularly those working towards solutions to the big issues: climate change, world hunger, waste. For once I feel encouraged, hopeful, and think “You know, we might just make it.”
Kate Williams is a freelance writer, editor, translator and Director of The Writer Stuff. She left her native England for Barcelona in 2003 and never looked, or went, back. When she isn’t writing or discovering all the cool stuff going on in the city, she enjoys hiking in the Catalan countryside, kayaking on the Costa Brava, and volunteers at a local animal sanctuary. You can read more by Kate here.