MWC – Mobile World Congress

March 3, 2023 – 10:30 in the morning

It was a sunny day in 1954 when scientist Russell Ohl first used his most famous creation: the photovoltaic panel. Since then, it has taken six to seven decades for small towns in Germany to become the first self-sufficient to use this type of energy production. The hype arrived, but it took more than two-thirds of a century.

The reflection was made by CEO Maria Gross of Germantech during the Mobile World Congress (MWC). And what does this story have to do with digital transformation? For event discussions, a lot. It is an example of how we must change the way we think in order for the evolution of technology to come faster — and change humanity for the better.

The largest mobile conference in the world, which took place this week, dealt with the obligatory post cards: quantum computing, cyber security, artificial intelligence, the evolution of 5G and 6G standards. However, one discourse pervaded all of them: the need for cooperation regarding these developments.

Much more than bringing speed, this attitude is a requirement for overcoming bottlenecks. It’s the old chicken-and-egg story: who was first anyway? Should infrastructure come first? But for that it is necessary to understand the application of these technologies. However, we are yet to know the concrete uses – and paths to monetization – from the consolidation of the structural base.

There is a financial and material burden for people to reach the pinnacle in the use of technology. You have to put your hand in your pocket. Simple, and the agents involved must understand this, realizing that any current loss to the business will represent a greater good in the future. Otherwise, we will have a delay in the application of technology for the benefit of all mankind.

In a world that claims to be ESG, it’s not enough to just put those intentions into words. What is needed is collaboration in practice: understanding how all the players in the game—companies, governments, regulators, and experts—can set aside individual interests in favor of an equation that puts people first.

Is it a picture of a perfect and utopian world? Can it be. But we must at least get close to him. And that means discussing, sitting at the table with competitors, looking for convergence around the greater good. Unfortunately, the big tech representatives—mainly Apple and Google—were not at MWC. However, I saw the good mood of all participants. It was an event to envision this future of greater collaboration to reduce costs across the chain, which will be good for business — and, of course, for people.