Educating for innovation at Mobile World Congress

Last updated: 11 April 2014

Welcome to day two of the biggest mobile conference in the world. The technology buzz continues with more delegates pouring into the new Fira venue and plenty of major announcements. We’re driving ever further NFC engagement with the NFC Experience and with our own announcements with Japanese mobile operator KDDI to enable  quicker and more convenient flight boarding on Japan Airlines using NFC for example.

That’s aside from all the other events and technology innovations happening all across the Fira and in Barcelona and beyond. The Heroes of the Mobile Fringe is a great innovation incubator, encouraging start-ups and great ideas to thrive with technology support. And what it ultimately comes down to is education.

Today’s panel debate on whether PacMan can Teach Maths, moderated by Russell Buckley and featuring speakers from PearsonAlina Vandenberghe, MEF and Distimo, discussed how innovation can only come from creativity and with the right skills. In our increasingly digitized world, it’s vital that the next generation has the skills and aptitude to continue the innovation we have sparked with mobile technology.

Whether mobile health and sustainable solutions enabled by machine-to-machine communications or mobile payments solutions implemented across developed and emerging markets, this innovation relies on expertise – and that expertise has to be taught to our children. There are many challenges to this, whether the existing systems not allowing for new learning methods, teachers being measured according to exam pass rates instead of child development, teachers lacking the necessary technology skills, or even the missing funding to ensure the next generation knows how to code for mobile.

Technology is at the heart of our world, and not just here at Mobile World Congress, but everywhere. Only by innovating with this technology can we continue to create a better digital world for the next generation, but we need to make sure we pass our skillset on.

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