Technology advances very quickly and it is increasingly common to suffer some kind of attack. In the era of the acceleration of digital transformation, the growing interconnectivity of systems and the massive implementation of artificial intelligence, understanding how cybersecurity works is key to protecting oneself and one's business. For this reason, the seventh edition of Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress (BCC) seeks to bring together the main European actors in digital protection to focus on the security of industries, companies, critical infrastructures and urban services against increasingly complex attacks, with AI as one of the main threats. From November 3 to 5, Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress will take place in pavilion 2 of the Gran Via venue and will be held simultaneously with Smart City Expo World Congress, Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress, Tomorrow.Blue Economy, HOWS Barcelona-Housing World Summit and Barcelona Deep Tech Summit.
“The increase in cybercrime makes spaces necessary where cybersecurity goes from theory to practice, such as BCC, which brings together the entire ecosystem in Barcelona to share needs, identify opportunities and build new alliances,” said the event director, Flavia Santoro. Organized jointly by Fira de Barcelona and the Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia and under the motto Connecting the European cybersecurity ecosystem, the congress aims to be the great European dissemination platform for knowledge and business opportunities around security against technology. In addition, it also aims to be the space to promote alliances between public institutions, research centers, technology companies and digital security managers.
The magnitude of the digital threat is reflected in the most recent data. Thus, the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) registered 122,223 cybersecurity incidents in Spain in 2025, 26% more than in 2024, and detected and notified 237,028 vulnerable systems. For its part, in Catalonia, the Cybersecurity Agency managed 6,544 unique cyberincidents during 2025, compared to 3,372 the previous year, and detected more than 9,100 million attack attempts, of which more than 7,000 million were automatically and immediately blocked.
For this reason, the congress program will be structured around three main axes: cybersecurity as a strategic business and reputational factor; artificial intelligence, identity and trust in the digital environment; and systemic, cyber-physical and supply chain resilience. In parallel, and in order to create these links and generate opportunities, the exhibition area of the show will feature a total of 111 companies and 34 sponsors that, like EY, Fortinet, Cisco, SoSafe, Mastercard, Sophos, ClearSkies, Sirt, Trend Micro, ThreatLocker and Telefónica, among others, will showcase their solutions to anticipate, detect and respond to cyberattacks. Among the organizations represented in the candidacies are Abertis Group, Puig, Grupo Argal, CH Media, Vodafone España, IDIKA, Ericsson, AirTrunk, Straumann Group and Adam Foods, along with initiatives from public administrations and technology companies.
150 international speakers
The congress aims to create a space for conversation among leaders in the world of cybersecurity. For this reason, among the more than 150 international speakers participating are Connie McIntosh, Head of Security at Ericsson; Sounil Yu, co-founder and Chief AI Safety Officer at Knostic and member of the Cybersecurity Hall of Fame; Pekka Jokinen, Deputy Director General of the National Cyber Security Centre of Finland; Arvin Bansal, CISO of C&S Wholesale Grocers and author of TRACE Framework; and Marcos Gómez, CISO and Deputy Director of Corporate Security at INCIBE. The panel of speakers is completed with specialists such as Tim Brown, former CISO of SolarWinds and partner at Team8; Holger Spohn, principal engineer at NATO; Seamus Lennon, from ThreatLocker; Darren James, from Specops Software; Rob Harrison, from Sophos; Carlos Solano, from NTT DATA; and Lino Santos, head of the National Cybersecurity Center of Portugal, among others.
The offer is completed with parallel events that combine strategic analysis and practical cases
However, not only master classes are sought, but also a collaborative work environment, doubt resolution, and real testimonials. Thus, the offer is complemented with parallel events that combine strategic analysis and practical cases, such as the session Cyber-resilience in the industrial supply chain, which will analyze the technological dependence between operator and manufacturer, or the National CyberHubs Spain Conference, which will bring together representatives from institutions, industry, academia, and the technological ecosystem to study the evolution of cybersecurity strategies, capacity and talent development, and the impact of artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies.
Likewise, the congress will also host the CISO Leadership Awards 2026, which recognize professionals, organizations, and initiatives that promote cybersecurity on an international scale. After analyzing 65 candidacies, a jury made up of ten experts has selected 28 finalists in seven categories related to strategic leadership, technological innovation, protection of critical infrastructures, talent, and the consolidation of a digital security culture.