MERIT

During Girls in ICT Day at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) in Manresa, UPC Manresa, and with the support of the MERIT project, we had the opportunity to hear from Noèlia Català, an expert in artificial intelligence at IThinkUPC. She explained what lies behind tools like ChatGPT and how they are now capable of performing tasks traditionally done by humans—such as writing, summarising, providing information on almost any topic, or chatting like a real person. 

Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and cybersecurity solutions have become fundamental elements of our daily lives. For many, digital tools like ChatGPT and smart devices are commonplace, yet the true potential of these technologies is often underutilized in businesses. While companies are aware of the power that AI and similar innovations offer, many face challenges in properly implementing these technologies into their operations.

On May 28, 2025, the MERIT project hosted an International Industry Engagement Workshop, bringing together researchers, technologists, and policymakers from across Europe to examine the transformative potential of the Internet of Things (IoT). The event served as a dynamic forum for sharing practical insights, research findings, and collaborative strategies that bridge academia, industry, and public administration.

A few days ago, UPC Manresa hosted the Girls in ICT Day, supported by the MERIT project. Among other activities, the participating girls took part in a hands-on workshop at Techlab Manresa to learn what the Internet of Things (IoT) is all about. The workshop was led by Xènia Mata and Mercè Tormo, both students of the Bachelor’s Degree in ICT Systems Engineering offered at UPC Manresa. They showed the attendees that controlling a system remotely can actually be done quite easily.