Find out about upcoming data technology events not to miss

The current healthcare situation has changed the way in which major events are held, with most of them moving from being held in person to online. However, little by little, the face-to-face format is being taken up again, returning to the offline format and even combining both experiences.

In this article we are going to discover some events related to the world of technology and data, both private and public, that will be held in the coming weeks and that you should not miss. Join us to discover them!

OpenExpo Virtual Experience 2021

8 to 10 June 2021 – Online

OpenExpo Europe has positioned itself in recent years as one of the main windows for dissemination in technological innovation, digital transformation and open source in Europe. Its main objective is to disseminate the latest trends, tools and services in innovation and technology among professionals in the technology sector, as well as helping them to increase their network of contacts.

The OpenExpo Virtual Experience initiative was launched last year, following the success achieved with the dissemination of online content on cybersecurity, blockchain, AI, virtual reality, IoT and big data, among other topics.

At this event, attendees will be able to enjoy more than 50 activities led by professional experts in technology and innovation: presentations, case studies, interviews, debates, workshops, Q&A sessions, 1to1 meetings, etc.  Some of the topics to be addressed are Govtech and the public administration's commitment to innovation, free educational software and Gaia-X, one of the European Commission's major projects in the field of data.

Advanced Factories

8 to 10 June 2021 – Barcelona

Barcelona will host the annual Advanced Factories summit, which brings together the most cutting-edge companies in Industry 4.0. Some of the focal points of this world-class meeting will be: industrial automation, sensors, energy efficiency, artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning and big data.

For the fourth consecutive year, this summit will host the Industry 4.0 Congress under the slogan "We are the future of automation", which will begin with a presentation on the role of data in the transformation of this sector.

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2021

28 June to 01 July 2021 – Barcelona

This great technological event was suspended in 2020, but in 2021 it will re-emerge as a new event with great guarantees of health safety. As a novelty, this year's MWC will feature several virtual activities that will complement the on-site edition of the event. "Connected Impact" is the chosen theme, which places the COVID-19 pandemic as the main element influencing this year's technological trends.

As usual, leading professionals from the sector and prominent speakers will be taking part. Among them is Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, who will participate with a presentation on data in the age of intelligence.

As in previous years, the in-house event for startups 4YFN (4 Years From Now) will be held as part of the MWC. Its aim is to support contact between startups and investors, providing access to an international network of contacts and different business opportunities. Among the participating companies we can find many focused on the world of data and its reuse. Red.es selects Spanish companies and startups to participate in the different representation spaces that are organised.

South Summit

5 to 7 October 2021 – Online

The autumn will see the arrival of South Summit, a showcase in the form of a competition to give more visibility to disruptive projects seeking new customers, funding or strategic partnerships. It will feature investors and leading innovation companies from Spain, southern Europe and Latin America, regardless of the industry, country of origin or stage of development of the project.

This year the organisation has decided not to hold the event in person, so the project presentations will take place virtually.

IoT Solutions World Congress

5 to 7 October 2021 – Barcelona

This is undoubtedly one of the most high-profile IoT events in the world. Due to the growing demand from the sector, more than 8,000 visitors are expected to attend an event that will bring together industry experts to analyse how the Internet of Things is transforming production, transport, logistics, public services and sectors such as healthcare and energy.

Some of the papers to be presented include "Leveraging EdgeX Foundry as an Open, Trusted Data Framework for Smart Meter Monitoring", "Using Mobile, IoT and Data Analytics to Take a Localized Approach to the Global Waste Problem" and "Making Cities, Infrastructures & Construction Sites Smarter with Time Series Data".

Semantic Web for E-Government

24 October - online

This online event will focus on a review of the semantic web and its importance in achieving interoperability and integration between the different organisational levels of public administrations. Two current e-government and open data initiatives will be presented:

• The European Data Portal, a platform for integrating and assessing Europe's Linked Open Government Data. It will address the multiple applications of semantic web standards in the European Data Portal, such as DCAT, SKOS, SHACL and DQV. Special attention will also be given to the measurement and publication of quality information.

• Ciudades Abiertas: good practices for data harmonisation with local public administrations. It will be explained how a set of vocabularies is being developed to support a homogeneous provision of open data in the framework of Ciudades Abiertas, a collaborative project with four Spanish cities (Zaragoza, A Coruña, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela).

Smart City Expo World Congress

16 to 18 November 2021 – Barcelona

For several years now, Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) has become a benchmark event that combines technological innovation with the field of Smart Cities. It brings together experts, companies and entrepreneurs with the aim of creating synergies and promoting new projects.

In 2021, the congress celebrates its tenth anniversary and its organisers will once again opt to hold the event in person, combined with a digital platform that will offer a multitude of opportunities to its attendees.

This event is usually the framework chosen by Open Data Barcelona to showcase the finalists of its World Data Viz Challenge, although the 2021 edition has not yet been announced.

EU Open Data Days

23 to 25 November 2021 - Online

This year we will also attend the first edition of the EU Open Data Days, organised by the Publications Office of the European Union in collaboration with the Aporta Initiative.  The event will be virtual and will be divided into two activities:

• EU Dataviz 2021 (23-24 November). A programme of conferences focusing on open data and visualisations. They are currently defining the agenda which we will share with you soon.
• EU Datathon 2021 (25 November). In the months leading up to this event, a competition will be held to encourage the creation of products based on open data, such as mobile or web applications, that offer a response to different challenges related to EU priorities. The deadline for submissions is 11 June. The final will be held on 25 November as part of the Open Days.

This is just a selection of some of the major technology events coming up - do you know of any more you would like to highlight? Then don't hesitate to write us a comment or send us your proposal by email to contacto@datos.gob.es.