At the end of February the technology world will be meeting up in Barcelona. More than 100,000 annual visitors and 2,000 exhibitors make MWC Barcelona the largest trade fair in Europe. The eco Association will be there on location, offering both a guided tour and a presentation.
Every spring sees the path for the technological future being further paved at MWC Barcelona. Initially launched in 1987, the former cell phone get-together has now developed into a full-blown technology fair. At MWC Barcelona 2020 from 24 to 27 February, everything will revolve around the question of how artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, IoT, and smart 5G connectivity will increase industrial value creation. The MWC organizer GSMA, for example, forecasts that 5G will contribute an estimated 2.2 trillion US dollars to the global economy over the next 15 years. And when it comes to Germany, a current study by Arthur D. Little and the eco Association shows that a total potential of 488 billion Euros could be unleashed by 2025 through a comprehensive deployment of AI.
Guided tour on AI and IoT (26 February, 12:00-15:00)
Smart factories connect their facilities in order to manufacture on a modular basis, optimize processes, save costs, and boost revenues – one of many examples of how AI, IoT, and 5G are driving industry forward. The guided tour by Dr. Bettina Horster, CEO, VIVAI Software AG, and Director of IoT at the eco Association (26 February, 12:00 to 15:00) will demonstrate just what is possible today. For the second time, the trade fair tour on the topics of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence will be held in cooperation with NRW.International. Until 31 January, interested parties can still register for the guided tour, using the (German-language) registration form.
Presentation on connected mobility (26 February, 15:00-16:30)
At CES 2020, Sony surprised the world with its Vision-S electric car concept – in Barcelona, too, the mobility of tomorrow is high up on the agenda. Forecasts by Roland Berger’s management consultants predict that, by 2021, more than 60 million connected vehicles will be sold worldwide each year – in 2018, the figure was already 42 million. In 2019, Audi investigated what consumers around the world think about autonomous mobility. 41 percent of those surveyed view the technology with suspicion; one third are anxious; and two out of three respondents have reservations because the legal framework is still lacking.
Just what such a framework should look like is a topic examined by the eco Association in its guidelines on Connected and Autonomous Mobility: In these guidelines, experts in IT law, cyber security, and mobility address the central challenges for warranty and liability law. At MWC Barcelona, a presentation with a follow-on discussion will take place at the NRW.International stand (26 February, 15:00 to 16:30 in Hall 6, Stand 6B40): Thorsten Stuke, CEO of m2m-Tailors and Expert for Mobility at the eco Association will present opportunities and risks in the mobility ecosystem. The presentation and discussion will take place after the guided tour. If you would like to attend the presentation, please register by email.
