MERIT Highlighted Among UPC’s Showcased Projects at MWC Barcelona 2026

The MERIT project was prominently featured at the UPC exhibition space during MWC Barcelona (MWC26), the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event, held from 2 to 5 March.

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC), represented by the UPC Technology Center (CIT UPC), exhibited at the Generalitat de Catalunya stand within the Catalonia Pavilion. The 2026 edition, held under the theme “The IQ Era,” brought together more than 105,000 attendees and marked the 20th anniversary of MWC in Barcelona.

UPC Projects and Demos Showcased 

Within the MWC Area, the UPC presented a selection of cutting-edge projects addressing key topics such as such as artificial intelligence, 6G connectivity, data spaces, digital health, smart mobility, and sustainability:

• 6G LABNET UPC – A unique and open infrastructure to accelerate business innovation in 5G and 6G networks.
• UPCxels – An open, multi-sector data space for creating value from information.
• PREPARE – Proactive Response and Efficient Planning with AI for resilient emergencies in hospitals.
• DigiPatICS – AI to improve cancer diagnosis and share results.
• 6G-EWOC – Artificial intelligence and 6G technologies for safe, interconnected mobility.
• FIREPRIME – Tools and services to improve wildfire safety and prevention in Europe.
• Spot4Dis – Smart mapping of accessible parking spaces.

Among them, MERIT and its new master’s programmes stood out as a European initiative focused on strengthening digital skills through an international educational ecosystem aligned with Europe’s digital transformation priorities.

Additionally, live demonstrations further illustrated UPC’s applied research capabilities:

• Demo ISAC: an ISAC LiDAR demonstrator for 6G, developed within the framework of the 6G-EWOC project. This is a prototype integrating advanced 3D+2D multimodal LiDAR sensing with optical wireless communication (OWC). The system embodies the concept of Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), transforming sensing into a native network resource and contributing to future 6G networks for intelligent and connected mobility, cooperative robotics, smart infrastructures and beyond.
• Demo 2: a drone for environmental visualisation systems with 5G technology, with 5G technology and controlled by the 6G-LabNetUPC infrastructure demonstrated a private, multi-technology open-access 5G platform integrating Edge Computing (MEC), wireless sensor networks (WSN) and optical transport networks (OTN) with AI support.

MERIT Dissemination at MWC26

Throughout the four-day event, MERIT was prominently showcased at the UPC stand through a series of dissemination activities designed to highlight the project’s vision and mission. The initiative was presented through its official leaflet, while specially designed QR flyers created for MWC26 directed visitors to further information about the programme and its mission. The official promotional video was screened continuously during the event, and branded MERIT pens were distributed among visitors.

Together, these actions helped raise awareness of MERIT among a broad audience, including students, professionals, SMEs, researchers, institutional stakeholders, and other attendees of MWC Barcelona. The initiative provided an opportunity to present MERIT as an advanced, flexible, industry-driven master’s programme, as well as a provider of lifelong learning short courses designed for upskilling and reskilling, and to underline its commitment to building an international educational ecosystem aimed at closing Europe’s digital skills gap.

For more information about MERIT’s participation and the UPC innovations showcased at MWC26, visit this page.