Bon vespre i sigueu benvinguts i benvingudes a Barcelona. I a Catalunya. Welcome to Barcelona, welcome to Catalonia.
Before I begin, I would like to quickly acknowledge the difficulty of celebrating dinners like this today given this weeks invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which we strongly condemn. Ukraine’s independence and its people must be protected. Catalonia stands with them and with the rest of our European partners. Our thoughts go out to the Ukrainian communities here and around the world, Catalonia will always be with them in solidarity and joins them in their desire for peace.
Despite the ongoing tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, today is a very special day for us.
It is our pleasure and our honour to meet once again in person for this year’s edition of the Mobile World Congress. A congress that this year recovers the strength, vitality and energy of the pre-pandemic editions in a world that has highlighted the importance of connectivity and how useful and transformative digital technologies are.
This is why today is a great day for Barcelona and Catalonia. Because organizing a Mobile World Congress with this year’s potential shows that -thanks to the work of the health professionals, and the efficiency of vaccines- we are closer than ever to leaving the pandemic behind and returning to normal.
Recovering our social life and promoting economic progress and growth with the aim of ensuring that well-being and prosperity reach everyone and everywhere. Barcelona is once again the center of the digital world. This is a source of pride for the city and for Catalonia.
Because we have placed a strategic focus on the ecosystem generated through the Mobile World Congress, an ecosystem built on businesses and entrepreneurs, on research and technological innovation, on knowledge that is created and shared.
Catalonia is one of the most dynamic countries in Europe. With initiatives, creativity and the capacity to think big. We are the most innovative and advanced society in Mediterranean Europe. We are driven by non-conformism and our will to build progress. We lead in economic growth. We lead in job creation. We beat export records year after year. And we have a strong network of start-ups. Without a doubt, we are an excellent country to invest in.
This is what drives us. This is what drives Catalonia. A will to transform and progress, with a clear commitment to the digital technologies and communication sectors. In this field we can highlight the AINA project, which will generate digital and linguistic resources so that technology can also understand and speak Catalan, in order to ensure that artificial intelligence applications can recognize and speak our language.
A Project that has just been launched but has already proven to be a success thanks to the participation of over 20.000 people who are helping to build a linguistic database that will also be helpful to technology companies. Because languages such as Catalan also have to have a guaranteed future in the digital world.
With projects such as this, the Catalan language shows its strength in the technological and digital world, just as it has recently done in the world of cinema. The recent triumph of the Catalan film Alcarràs in the Berlinale is a reason for celebration and pride, and helps us prove that even though Catalan is a medium sized language that is sometimes sidelined, it is full of potential and capacity.
Catalonia has all the ingredients to enhance the digital ecosystem that is created around the Mobile World Congress. That is why we are determined to promote them by acting as a true entrepreneurial state. We will do so by guaranteeing all necessary infrastructures to promote economic progress in the sector. And we do this by being directly involved in supporting key business initiatives and strategies for our economy.
Barcelona and Catalonia have made it their firm intent to lead the design and production of the European chip Project. A strategic Project for the whole of the European industry and that without a doubt will become a trigger to consolidate Catalonia as the center of the digital world, with a strong, dynamic and innovative economy. We have all the elements to do it. Beginning with the potential of counting with the Mare Nostrum supercomputer.
The Catalan government we will be fully committed to make this possible.
We need all public administrations to trust in the capacity and potential of this project, just like Catalonia is doing. We need the support of the Next Generation Funds to finish giving the necessary momentum to a project that can form a great partnership together with the strength and potential of the Mobile World Congress.
A partnership which I am sure has a great future ahead. That shows the capacity that Catalonia has to think big. And our willingness to work for economic progress, as it is the best way to work for the prosperity and wellbeing of all our citizens.
I wish that this year’s Mobile World Congress is a true success, just like it has been in all its editions, and that it becomes the true symptom that we are leaving the pandemic behind.
Enjoy Barcelona and Catalan hospitality. And that when you return home, you think about coming back next year. We will wait for you with open arms.
Catalunya és casa vostra. Catalunya és terra orgullosa de la seva història, orgullosa del seu potencial. Catalunya és terra de progrés i té tota l’ambició de futur. Catalonia is the land of progress and proud of the future that we will build. Catalonia is your home.
Moltes gràcies. Thank you very much.