Two weeks before MWC Barcelona 2026 opened, Sateliot and PLD Space signed Spain’s first 100% private space mission. Greece is moving on a parallel arc. The Greek, Spanish space conversation is no longer theoretical. On 17 February 2026, Spanish operator Sateliot and Spanish launcher PLD Space signed their first commercial contract: two next generation Tritó 5G direct to device satellites, approximately 160 kg each, to be launched on a dedicated MIURA 5 mission in 2027. The contract is, by some distance, the most significant single commercial milestone in modern Spanish space history. It is the first 100% Spanish private space mission, national manufacturing, national launch, national operations and national commercialisation. Two weeks later, Spain hosted MWC Barcelona 2026. PLD Space’s 2026 momentum. In early March 2026, PLD Space closed a €180 million Series C round led by Mitsubishi Electric. On 7 April 2026, the European Investment Bank announced a €30 million venture debt loan to PLD Space, the EIB’s first direct investment in a small scale space launcher. Total 2026 capital raised: approximately €210 million. Sateliot, headquartered in Barcelona, operates Europe’s first 5G satellite centre and is developing the Tritó constellation for direct to device IoT services. Greece’s parallel arc. Greece’s National Microsatellite Programme, designed by the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance through the General Secretariat for Telecommunications and Posts and the Hellenic Space Centre, has a total budget of €200 million and a target of seven Earth observation satellites by 2026. Five are already in orbit. The Lavrio Technology Park hosts DAEDALUS, the supercomputer at the centre of the Pharos AI Factory. Open Cosmos Aegean has unveiled production facilities for a high resolution satellite constellation. The Greek satellite industry is moving from project based work to programmatic capacity at the same time that Spain’s commercial space industry is consolidating. Why the convergence matters.Both countries are building Mediterranean relevant Earth observation capacity, climate monitoring, maritime traffic, fire prevention and agricultural intelligence. Both have major stakes in the IRIS² constellation programme, Europe’s secure connectivity backbone, where Greek and Spanish industrial interests align more than they compete. Both countries also have an opportunity to position bilateral cooperation as a working model for distributed, member state led European space innovation. What MWC 2026 opened.The bilateral meeting on AI and Space between Minister Papastergiou and Spanish Deputy Minister Juan Cruz Cigudosa explicitly placed space cooperation alongside AI Factories on the bilateral working agenda. The Innovation Technology Alliance will publish a directory of Greek and Spanish space tech actors with active EU funding bids during Q2 2026, designed to make matchmaking between the two ecosystems concrete rather than abstract. The contracts in Spain are signed. The supercomputers in Greece are being installed. The bilateral conversation has finally caught up with the underlying industrial reality.

The two ministerial bilaterals captured the headlines. Beneath them, a layer of smaller engagements set up next year's working agenda. The two Greek, Spanish ministerial bilaterals, on AI Factories and Space, and on the Protection of Minors, captured the headlines from MWC 2026. Beneath them, a layer of less visible engagements quietly set up the next twelve months of bilateral working agenda. Here are seven of them, with a note on what comes next for each. Engagement 1, Generalitat de Catalunya, Secretariat for Digital Policy.Preparatory conversations on Catalan, Greek cooperation in digital governance, focused on cross border interoperability and on shared positions on AI Act enforcement. Follow ups routed for Q2 2026. Engagement 2, Ajuntament de Barcelona, Smart City Unit.Initial alignment on smart city peer learning between Barcelona and Athens, with attention to visitor flow analytics and sustainable mobility, two domains where both cities face comparable pressures. A potential joint workshop is on the table for autumn 2026. Engagement 3, Cámara de Comercio de Barcelona.Bilateral business to business introductions, focusing on Catalan tech firms looking at Greek market expansion and on Greek companies looking at Catalan operations. A joint trade mission is in early scoping for Q3 2026. Engagement 4, Red.es.Institutional touchpoints around the Spanish Pavilion programme and joint follow ups on digital public service standards. The conversation will continue into the broader Spain Digital 2026 framework. Engagement 5, Spanish, Hellenic Chamber of Commerce.Coordination meeting between the two bilateral chambers, operational alignment for the year ahead, including a joint programme of bilateral webinars and a shared event calendar. Engagement 6, Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation.Conversations on hosting a Greek, Spanish innovation moment at the Smart City Expo World Congress in November 2026, building on the institutional credibility established at MWC. Engagement 7, Diputació de Barcelona.Provincial level engagement on cross border digital cooperation programmes funded through Catalan provincial budgets, a layer of EU funding that is rarely visible from outside Catalonia but is operationally significant.

On the sidelines of MWC Barcelona 2026, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed that turns Greek-Spanish tourism technology from talk into a working instrument. The Hellenic-Spanish Chamber of Commerce was the broker. Tourism is the obvious sector for Greek-Spanish cooperation. Both countries are top-three Mediterranean destinations. Both have visible, growing tourism technology ecosystems. Until MWC Barcelona 2026, neither had a structured cross-border instrument linking those ecosystems. That changed on the sidelines of the Greek Pavilion's inauguration. What was signed. A Memorandum of Cooperation between Eurobank's egg Accelerator, the Greek incubation and acceleration programme operated by the bank's Venture Banking unit, and Turistec, Spain's leading international tourism technology cluster, headquartered in the Balearic Islands. Signed by Jaume Monserrat, President of Turistec, and Michalis Vlastarakis and Roula Bachtalia for Eurobank and the egg Accelerator. The Spanish trade press described the agreement as opening "new opportunities for technology project development in the sector" between Spain and Greece. What the framework covers. Soft-landing initiatives for startups crossing into the other country. Cross-participation in events and community activities. Co-creation sessions and joint technology pilots. Direct connection between companies, universities and research centres on both sides. The egg-Turistec instrument is, by design, operational rather than symbolic, it specifies what cooperation actually consists of, week by week, project by project. Who brokered it. The MoU was, in the words of Turistec President Jaume Monserrat (cited in Spanish trade outlet Hosteltur), "promoted by the Spanish-Greek Chamber of Commerce." From the Greek side, the Hellenic-Spanish Chamber of Commerce sits on the Coordination Council of the Greek TourismTech Cluster, the cluster of 16 innovative Greek tourism-technology companies created by Eurobank's Venture Banking unit and the egg Accelerator. The Chamber's role on both ends of the corridor was the structural condition that made the MoU possible. Why it matters institutionally. This is exactly the kind of output that bilateral chamber diplomacy is designed to produce. Two governments meeting on a fair floor produces talking points. A signed MoU between an industry cluster on one side and an accelerator on the other, with chambers brokering and a bank operating the financing layer, produces working programmes. Greek startups now have a soft-landing path into the Balearic tourism-technology cluster, and Spanish startups have a structured route into the Greek tourism-technology accelerator pipeline. What comes next. The Hellenic Minister of Digital Governance & Artificial Intelligence, Dimitris Papastergiou, met with the TourismTech Cluster and egg Accelerator teams during MWC week. Roula Bachtalia, Head of Venture Banking at Eurobank, has framed the initiative as a connector between innovation, financing and international networks. The Innovation Technology Alliance will track the egg-Turistec workstream as a flagship case study of bilateral chamber diplomacy converted into operational cooperation.

Four days, 48 Greek companies, two ministerial bilaterals, a signed Memorandum of Cooperation, the Spanish Pavilion as a working diplomacy stage, and the institutional choreography that turns a fair into a year-round programme. Setting the stage MWC Barcelona 2026 ran from 2 to 5 March at the FIRA Gran Vía exhibition centre. According to the organisers, the 20th edition of the Mobile World Congress brought together more than 2,900 exhibitors across seven halls, with attendance estimated near or slightly above 109,000 professionals from approximately 205 countries. For the thirteenth consecutive year, Greece participated with a national pavilion in Hall 7, co, organised by the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, Enterprise Greece, and SEKEE (the Hellenic Association of Mobile Application Companies), and supported by the Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce through its Innovation Technology Alliance initiative. This year's Greek presence was, by the organisers' own assessment, the largest in recent years: 48 innovative Greek technology companies and bodies, with more than 150 representatives and executives, across artificial intelligence, IoT, semiconductors, digital governance, smart infrastructure, and advanced telecommunications. The mission was further supported by a wide ecosystem of partners, including the Region of Attica and the Regional Development Fund of Attica, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA, ACCI) and its Athens Business Incubator (Th.E.A.), HELEXPO and BEYOND, and Eurobank's egg Accelerator. The pavilion inauguration, with the Minister's remarks On 3 March 2026 at 12:30, the Hellenic Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dimitris Papastergiou formally inaugurated the Greek Pavilion. Welcoming the delegation alongside the Minister were the President of SEKEE Manos Macromallis, the President of the Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce Michael Kokkinos, the President of the Spanish, Hellenic Chamber of Commerce Andreas Pappas, the Greek Secretary General for Telecommunications and Posts Prof. Konstantinos Karantzalos, and senior representatives of the Greek mission ecosystem. After the inaugural addresses, the Minister conducted a tour of the company stands. In his remarks, Minister Papastergiou stressed that "Greece's presence at MWC is not merely participation in an exhibition, but a celebration of technology aimed at strengthening the outward orientation of Greek businesses," and emphasised that "technology can gradually become a significant share of Greek GDP, provided that support for research, development and exports in the ICT sector continues." He also referenced the major digital, infrastructure projects under way at European level, designed to allow Greece to "navigate communications safely" over the next decade, linking national network policy directly to the strengthening of the country's business ecosystem. On the inauguration day, the Presidents of SEKEE and HSCC addressed Greek and international media, including dedicated InfoCom coverage, on the strategic importance of Greece's coordinated national presence and on the role of MWC Barcelona as a global platform for innovation, policy dialogue and international partnerships. President Kokkinos in particular emphasised the role of Spain as a strategic gateway to the Latin American market for Greek technology companies, opening a new dimension of HSCC's value proposition for Greek member companies. The two Greece, Spain ministerial bilaterals Two bilateral conversations defined the institutional weight of the Greek mission to MWC 2026, both held on the Spanish Pavilion stage. On 2 March, Minister Papastergiou met Spain's Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa. The agenda was deliberately concentrated: AI Factories, AI Giga Factories, advanced technologies cooperation, and the space sector. The bilateral set the foundation for working, level coordination on three specific tracks: joint applications to upcoming EuroHPC and Horizon Europe calls; talent pipelines between Spain's Barcelona Supercomputing Center and CENIA on one side, and Greece's GRNET and Demokritos on the other; and coordinated positioning on the AI Giga Factories programme, where the question of which member states co, lead bids is now strategically live. On 3 March, Minister Papastergiou met Spain's Minister for Digital Transformation, Óscar López. The single defining topic of the meeting was the protection of minors from addictive design on digital platforms. The conversation came four weeks after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced his landmark plan to ban under, 16s from social media and to push the position at EU level. Both ministers agreed on three working priorities: a shared evidence base across Greek and Spanish digital cohorts; coordinated enforcement positions on age, assurance technologies; and a joint policy voice in EU, level discussions on the AI Act, the Audio, Visual Media Services Directive review, and the next phase of the Digital Services Act. The Minister's broader bilateral programme Beyond the two G2G ministerial conversations, Minister Papastergiou ran a sustained programme of meetings with global telecom operators, technology integrators and international regulators. On 2 March he met Ms D. Leroy of the Deutsche Telekom Board for Europe, Mr J. Reiter (Chief External and Corporate Affairs Officer, Vodafone), and Mr M. Perovani (CEO Europe Cluster, Capgemini Group), with stand visits to Ericsson and Capgemini. He also participated in a ministerial panel on the "Digital Networks Act, DNA". On 3 March he met Mr C. Baigorri (President, Anatel, the Brazilian National Telecommunications Authority), Mr E. Davalo (Vice, President and Head of Sales for Europe and North America, Airbus Group), Ms E. Garcés (CEO, Islalink Group), and Mr N. Albi (CEO, Medusa Submarine Cable System Group), with a stand visit to Huawei. He also participated in the GSMA × ITU panel "Accelerating AI Readiness: Collaboration for Global Impact". The Innovation Technology Alliance contributed to the preparatory mapping of these counterparts and is operating the post, event follow, up loop with each of them as part of the Chamber's year, round outreach schedule. Spain and Greece Networking with Red.es On 4 March, the third consecutive edition of the Spain, Greece Networking event took place inside the Spanish Pavilion, organised by the Office for Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Greek Embassy in Madrid in cooperation with Red.es, the entity attached to the Spanish Ministry for Digital Transformation that operates the Spanish Pavilion. Seven Greek companies and six Spanish companies delivered one, minute pitches, followed by a structured business, networking session on the Pavilion's first floor. Spanish organisation was rapid and of excellent quality, with a custom Spain, Greece Networking event identity. Participant feedback on both sides was strongly positive on the quality of the pitches and the usefulness of the contacts. The Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the Innovation Technology Alliance were informed, copied and briefed on the participating Spanish companies, and will incorporate them into the Chamber's ongoing outreach for future Greece, Spain endeavours. Catalonia, Acció, and a microsatellite touchpoint with Open Cosmos On 2 March, a ten, member Greek delegation visited the Catalonia Pavilion, with logistical support and coordination by Acció, the Catalan agency for trade and investment, the Catalan equivalent of Enterprise Greece. The visit included a stop at Open Cosmos, the Catalan, based satellite manufacturer collaborating with the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance on a European programme for the construction and orbital deployment of a microsatellite system. The Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the Innovation Technology Alliance were informed, copied and briefed on the Catalonia Pavilion programme and on the Open Cosmos engagement, and will incorporate both into the Chamber's ongoing outreach for future Greece, Spain endeavours, with Catalan engagement and the bilateral microsatellite track among the Chamber's strategic priorities for 2026 and 2027. On 3 March, a Greek delegation also visited the Netherlands Pavilion, and on the evening of the same day, three Greek companies participated in the European Sovereign Matchmaking Dinner hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Netherlands Pavilion. Participation was mediated by the Greek Embassy's Office for Economic and Commercial Affairs. The Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the Innovation Technology Alliance were informed, copied and briefed on the engagement, and will incorporate the participating counterparts into the Chamber's ongoing outreach for future Greece, Spain endeavours. The dinner provided an additional layer of cross, European engagement on themes related to digital sovereignty and supply, chain resilience. Athens Chamber, Barcelona Chamber, Fira Barcelona, and Greece as honoree country at Construmat 2027 On 3 March, at the Greek Pavilion, a meeting was held between representatives of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA, ACCI), the Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce, and Enterprise Greece, with senior representatives of the Cambra de Comerç de Barcelona and Fira Barcelona, the institutional operator of Barcelona's exhibition infrastructure. The discussion focused on the revitalisation and updating of a previously proposed Memorandum of Cooperation between the two chambers, aimed at strengthening institutional collaboration and creating a structured framework for deeper engagement between the Greek and Catalan business ecosystems. On the same day, representatives of Fira Barcelona communicated their intention to designate Greece as the honoree country at the upcoming Construmat international construction exhibition, scheduled for May 2027 at the Barcelona International Exhibition Centre. Construmat 2027 has been added to the Innovation Technology Alliance's outreach calendar as a forward flagship target for Greek, Catalan industrial cooperation outside the digital vertical, and the Chamber will work with EBEA, Enterprise Greece and the Greek Embassy in Madrid to operationalise the honoree, country track. TourismTech: the egg, Turistec Memorandum of Cooperation On the sidelines of MWC Barcelona 2026, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between Eurobank's egg Accelerator and Turistec, Spain's leading international tourism technology cluster, headquartered in the Balearic Islands. The MoU was, in the words of Turistec President Jaume Monserrat, promoted by the Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The Greek TourismTech Cluster, created by Eurobank's Venture Banking unit and the egg Accelerator, brings together 16 Greek technology companies. Its Coordination Council includes the Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce, contributing to international networking and investment cooperation. The egg, Turistec framework covers soft, landing initiatives for startups, cross, participation in events and community activities, co, creation sessions, technology pilots, and direct connection between companies, universities and research centres in both countries. During the inauguration window, Minister Papastergiou met with the teams of the TourismTech Cluster and the egg Accelerator. Roula Bachtalia, Head of Venture Banking at Eurobank, highlighted the strategic role of the initiative in connecting innovation with financing and international networks. HSCC was represented at the Greek Pavilion by President Michael Kokkinos and Chamber members Ioannis Kostopoulos and Angeliki Eleftheriou. Catalonia Telecoms: a routed engagement Within the Catalan strand, the Innovation Technology Alliance opened an outreach line to Mr Albert Tort, Secretary of Telecommunications and Digital Transformation of the Generalitat de Catalunya, for a meeting with the Greek Secretary General for Telecommunications and Posts Prof. Konstantinos Karantzalos, who would have been accompanied by Mr Kontis, Special Advisor on Telecommunications. As the broader institutional choreography evolved during the run, up to MWC, the activation of this specific bilateral was not finalised within the exhibition window. The engagement has been formally routed for follow, up post, event, and the Catalonia Telecoms and Digital Transformation Secretariat remains a standing track in the Chamber's bilateral programme for 2026, 2027. The Embassy's role and Barcelona Activa Across the four days of MWC and the immediate post, event week, the Office for Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Greek Embassy in Madrid, under the leadership of Senior Counsellor Pantelis Gkasios, played a central role: distributing information on the Greek presence to Spanish institutional and corporate counterparts, brokering meetings, attending the Greek Pavilion's principal engagements, and organising the Spain, Greece Networking event with Red.es. The Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the Innovation Technology Alliance were systematically informed, copied and briefed on the broader bilateral programme operated by the Embassy, and will use that information to maintain continuity of action for future Greece, Spain endeavours. The Chamber's own coordinated coverage during the exhibition window was the two ministerial bilaterals, the chamber, to, chamber meeting with the Cambra de Comerç de Barcelona and Fira Barcelona, and the egg, Turistec Memorandum of Cooperation. This pattern of Embassy, led briefing and Chamber, led continuity has been maintained throughout 2025, 2026 between the two MWC missions and continues into MWC 2027. On 6 March, immediately following the close of MWC, EBEA executives attended a dedicated briefing organised by Barcelona Activa, the development agency of the Ajuntament de Barcelona, titled "Discover Barcelona, the Mediterranean Tech and Knowledge Capital". The Greek Embassy's Office and Mr Karydis of Enterprise Greece had attended the equivalent in, fair presentation on 4 March. The Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the Innovation Technology Alliance were informed and briefed on the Barcelona Activa programme, and Barcelona Activa is now a standing point of contact in the Chamber's Catalan engagement portfolio for future Greece, Spain endeavours. Continuity: from MWC 2025 to MWC 2026, and on to MWC 2027 The 2026 mission did not begin with the opening of the Pavilion on 2 March. It began the day after MWC 2025 closed. In the twelve months between the two missions, HSCC, through the Innovation Technology Alliance, maintained sustained institutional contact with the Spanish Ministries for Digital Transformation and for Science Innovation and Universities, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Ajuntament de Barcelona, the Cambra de Comerç de Barcelona, Red.es, and the Spanish, Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber operated a formal proposal to the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance dated 12 May 2025 on the build, up of Greece's bilateral engagement with Spain in AI and Microsatellites; while the proposal as such was not formally adopted, much of its substantive scope was implemented anyway through the Innovation Technology Alliance and surfaced operationally in the work above. The Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce, through the Innovation Technology Alliance, will continue this work without interruption into the MWC 2027 cycle and beyond. Q2 2026 carries the AI Factories joint workstream and the protection, of, minors working group. Q3 2026 carries the Greek, Spanish space, tech directory and the Athens Chamber × Barcelona Chamber follow, up. Q4 2026 carries the year, end policy report. May 2027 brings Construmat with Greece as honoree country, and the run, up to MWC Barcelona 2027 begins immediately afterwards. The work does not stop.

During MWC Barcelona 2026, the President of the Hellenic Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Michael Kokkinos, shared remarks on the strategic importance of Greece’s national mission and the growing international footprint of Greek technology companies. In his statements, he emphasized the role of Spain as a key gateway to the Latin American market, highlighting the opportunities for Greek companies to expand beyond Europe by leveraging Spain’s strong commercial and institutional networks across the region. MWC Barcelona continues to serve as a critical global platform where innovation ecosystems, policy dialogue, and international partnerships converge. The presence of the Greek mission, supported by institutional actors and ecosystem partners, contributes to strengthening cross-border cooperation and creating new pathways for international growth.

On the third day of MWC Barcelona, two governments converged on the defining digital policy test of 2026. On 3 March 2026, on the same Spanish Pavilion stage that had hosted the AI and Space bilateral the day before, Greek Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dimitris Papastergiou met with Spain’s Minister for Digital Transformation, Óscar López. The single, defining topic of the meeting was the protection of minors from addictive design on digital platforms, and how Greece and Spain can build a coordinated national and EU level response. A theme whose moment has arrived Spain has emerged as one of the most assertive enforcers of the Digital Services Act. The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) and the new digital services authorities have pushed platforms hard on age assurance, dark patterns and addictive interface design. Greece has been moving along a parallel axis: the Ministry of Digital Governance has prioritised children’s online safety as a pillar of its national strategy, with Hellenic regulators increasingly active in cross border enforcement coordination. What the joint stance covers Both ministers agreed on three working priorities. 1. A shared evidence base Research and data on platform addiction patterns specific to minors, drawn from Greek and Spanish digital cohorts and made interoperable across both jurisdictions. 2. Coordinated enforcement positions Alignment on age assurance technologies, with explicit attention to privacy preservation, the technical question on which the next round of DSA enforcement will largely turn. 3. A joint policy voice at EU level Coordinated positioning in discussions related to the AI Act, the Audio Visual Media Services Directive review and the next phase of the Digital Services Act. Why bilateral leverage matters Member state cooperation on this issue has historically lagged. Much of the policy momentum has remained concentrated at Commission level, producing strong frameworks but uneven implementation. A bilateral track between two committed governments, supported by chambers, diplomatic networks and institutional ecosystems from both countries, creates the possibility for member state led proposals rather than waiting for exclusively top down direction from Brussels. That is a different model of European policy making, and MWC 2026 made it visible. What comes next The two ministries committed to establishing a working group in Q2 2026, involving technical staff from the AEPD, the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance and academic researchers from both countries. A joint workshop with platform representatives is also under discussion for the autumn. The Innovation Technology Alliance will monitor the working group’s progress and provide institutional support for continued cross border engagement. Protection of minors is no longer a niche regulatory issue. It is rapidly becoming one of the defining tests of how the European Union translates the Digital Services Act into lived experience for families. Greece and Spain have made it clear that they intend to lead together.

The President of the Hellenic Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Michael Kokkinos, and the President of ΣΕΚΕΕ (SEKEE), Manos Mavrommatis, spoke to InfoCom during MWC Barcelona 2026 on the occasion of the official inauguration of the Greek Pavilion. In their remarks, they highlighted the strategic importance of the Greek national mission in strengthening the international footprint of Greece’s technology and innovation ecosystem, while showcasing the growing momentum of Greek tech companies on the global stage. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of collaboration between institutional stakeholders, industry leaders, and innovation partners in fostering new international partnerships, encouraging cross-border cooperation, and creating new opportunities for growth, investment, and technological advancement. MWC Barcelona continues to serve as one of the world’s leading platforms for innovation, connectivity, and international dialogue — bringing together governments, enterprises, startups, and technology leaders from across the globe.

On the sidelines of MWC Barcelona 2026, the Greek Minister of Digital Governance & Artificial Intelligence, Dimitris Papastergiou, met with Spain’s Minister for Digital Transformation, Óscar López, for a high level discussion focused on the protection of minors from digital platform addiction and the growing need for coordinated European action in the digital sphere. The meeting highlighted the increasing importance of cross border cooperation in shaping responsible, human centric digital policy at a time when emerging technologies are evolving faster than regulatory and societal frameworks. Particular emphasis was placed on the responsibility of governments and institutions to create safer digital environments for younger generations while preserving the innovative potential of the digital economy. Beyond the immediate policy agenda, the exchange reflected a broader convergence between Greece and Spain on issues related to digital governance, technological responsibility, AI regulation, platform accountability and the future of Europe’s digital ecosystem. MWC Barcelona continues to reinforce its role as one of the world’s leading platforms where technology, policy and international dialogue intersect, bringing together governments, institutions, innovators and industry leaders to shape the next phase of Europe’s digital future.

During MWC Barcelona 2026, the Greek Minister of Digital Governance & Artificial Intelligence, Dimitris Papastergiou, met with Spain’s Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, to discuss emerging opportunities in artificial intelligence, advanced computing and space innovation. The discussion focused on the growing strategic importance of European initiatives such as AI Factories and AI Giga Factories, as well as future prospects for bilateral cooperation in the space sector, an area increasingly central to Europe’s technological and industrial competitiveness. The meeting also reflected the broader strengthening of institutional and innovation ties between Greece and Spain, supported through initiatives and dialogue fostered around MWC Barcelona and the wider European innovation ecosystem. MWC Barcelona continues to serve as a leading international platform where technology, policy and cross border partnerships come together to shape the future of European innovation.

On 3 March, at the Greek Pavilion during MWC Barcelona 2026, a high level meeting took place between representatives of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Hellenic Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Greece, senior representatives of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and Fira Barcelona, reinforcing the growing institutional and business ties between Greece and Catalonia. The discussions focused on the revitalization and updating of a previously proposed Memorandum of Cooperation, aimed at establishing a more structured framework for long term collaboration between the Greek and Catalan business ecosystems. Particular emphasis was placed on strengthening institutional connectivity, facilitating direct engagement between member companies, and creating new channels for bilateral business development. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding economic cooperation through reciprocal business missions, joint initiatives, institutional exchanges and enhanced support for companies seeking international growth opportunities in both markets. Representatives of Fira Barcelona also presented the upcoming Construmat international construction exhibition, scheduled to take place in May 2027 at the Barcelona International Exhibition Centre, highlighting opportunities for stronger Greek participation and deeper engagement with one of Europe’s leading industry platforms. The meeting further strengthened the institutional bridge between Greece and Spain, underlining the importance of sustained dialogue and strategic cooperation between chambers of commerce, trade organizations and innovation ecosystems in shaping the next phase of Mediterranean economic collaboration.

On the second day of MWC Barcelona 2026, Greece and Spain held one of the most consequential bilateral conversations of the week. On 2 March 2026, on the floor of the Spanish Pavilion, Greek Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dimitris Papastergiou met with Spain’s Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa. The agenda was deliberately concentrated: AI Factories, AI Giga Factories, advanced technologies cooperation and the space sector. There were no broad declarations. There was, instead, a working alignment between two governments that have decided to move in the same direction on European AI infrastructure. Why this matters.The European Union’s AI Factories network, public compute infrastructure designed to give startups, SMEs and researchers access to large scale GPU resources, is a defining piece of the bloc’s digital sovereignty agenda. Spain hosts the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, one of the network’s flagship sites, and the new Centro Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial (CENIA). Greece operates GRNET as the national HPC backbone and is steadily building applied AI capacity through Demokritos and the Athens research cluster. Aligning these capabilities, through interoperability, shared benchmarks and joint participation in EuroHPC calls, is now within practical reach. What was agreed.The two sides set the foundation for working level coordination on three specific tracks. First, joint applications to upcoming EuroHPC and Horizon Europe calls, with a shared position on which instruments are most relevant for Mediterranean relevant AI use cases. Second, talent pipelines that allow Greek and Spanish researchers to use each country’s compute resources, modelled on existing EuroHPC access mechanisms but with bilateral acceleration. Third, coordinated positioning on AI Giga Factories, the next generation compute clusters that the European Commission is designing for frontier model training, where the question of which member states co lead bids is now strategically live. Beyond AI.The conversation also extended to space technology, a domain where both countries have moving capability. Spain’s New Space ecosystem, Sateliot, PLD Space, FOSSA Systems, Alén Space, alongside the broader GMV Innovating Solutions footprint, has accelerated visibly over the past three years. Greek aerospace has its own track, anchored by the Hellenic Aerospace Industry and a growing layer of microsatellite work emerging from Greek research centres. Both ministries acknowledged that secure connectivity, shaped by the IRIS² constellation programme, and Earth observation tailored to Mediterranean realities are areas where bilateral leverage is real. The bilateral produced a shared list of EU instruments to pursue jointly, a working understanding of where each country’s strengths complement the other’s, and the institutional intent to keep the rhythm going through the rest of 2026. The next operational checkpoints, joint scoping notes on EuroHPC bids and on the AI Giga Factories programme, fall in Q2. The Innovation Technology Alliance, an initiative of the Hellenic, Spanish Chamber of Commerce that has facilitated Greek, Spanish digital diplomacy at MWC since 2025, will be tracking the follow up and reporting publicly through this microsite.

The launch of the TourismTech Cluster, created by Eurobank’s Venture Banking unit and the egg, enter grow go accelerator, marks an important milestone in strengthening the international presence and growth trajectory of Greek TourismTech companies. The cluster brings together 16 innovative Greek technology companies and is supported by a Coordination Council that includes the Hellenic Spanish Chamber of Commerce, contributing to stronger international networking, investment cooperation and cross border business development between Greece and Spain. On the sidelines of MWC Barcelona 2026, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the egg Accelerator and the Spanish tourism innovation cluster Turistec, reinforcing the connection between the Greek and Spanish innovation ecosystems and opening new pathways for collaboration in tourism technology and digital innovation. During the event, Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou met with representatives of the TourismTech Cluster and the egg Accelerator, while Roula Bachtalia, Head of Venture Banking at Eurobank, highlighted the strategic importance of connecting innovation, financing and international networks in accelerating the next generation of TourismTech growth. The Hellenic Spanish Chamber of Commerce continues to actively support initiatives that strengthen innovation, investment cooperation and cross border partnerships between the Greek and Spanish technology ecosystems. 🎥 At the Greek Pavilion during MWC Barcelona 2026, Ioannis Kostopoulos, Angeliki Eleftheriou and Hellenic Spanish Chamber President Michael Kokkinos shared their perspectives on the initiative and its impact on the future of tourism innovation. 🔗 Learn more about the TourismTech Cluster:https://www.theegg.gr/el/platformes-gia-sena/egg-clusters/cluster-tourismou-politismou