Laia Corbella appointed to lead Fundación Mobile World Capital after management reshuffle. Fundación Mobile World Capital has seen a change in leadership. Laia Corbella has taken over as director following the departure of Francesc Fajula, who is now responsible for the gigafactoría de IA project in Tarragona. The decision was made at a board of trustees meeting.
A significant leadership change has taken place at Fundación Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) in Barcelona. Laia Corbella, who previously oversaw communications and corporate affairs for the foundation, has been appointed as the new CEO. The decision was made at a meeting of the board of trustees, which includes representatives from city, regional, and national authorities, as well as major companies and industry organizations.
Laia Corbella replaces Francesc Fajula, who had led MWCapital since 2022. Fajula will now head the gigafactoría de Inteligencia Artificial project, which is planned for implementation in Móra la Nova (Tarragona) and has already been submitted for consideration to the European Commission. Corbella has also been working at the foundation since 2022, and previously held management positions in communications at the Generalitat and the economic publication 'Via Empresa'.
The MWCapital board of trustees includes Ayuntamiento de Barcelona, Generalitat de Cataluña, Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital, Fira de Barcelona, GSMA, Telefónica, Vodafone, Orange, DAMM, and CaixaBank. The meeting to confirm Corbella's appointment was attended by Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni, Generalitat advisor Albert Dalmau, GSMA executive director John Hoffman, and Fira board chairman Pau Relat.
According to the foundation’s representatives, MWCapital's key goal is to support the development of Barcelona’s technology sector and to strengthen the city’s international standing. It is emphasized that the value of the Mobile World Congress lies not just in the event itself, but also in creating an ecosystem where new companies emerge, talent develops, and the city’s global recognition grows. The new CEO of the foundation highlighted the importance of working together with the trustees and outlined a plan for further growth and increasing the organization’s impact.
The context of leadership changes in major Spanish institutions is becoming increasingly relevant: recently, a possible change of leader was discussed in Andalusia after an election setback, as reflected in a piece on the internal dynamics of the PSOE — details on the situation in regional politics.
The MWCapital Foundation was established to integrate the Mobile World Congress into the city and national economy, as well as to advance technological initiatives in Catalonia. For more than a decade, Barcelona has hosted the world's largest mobile technology congress, bringing significant economic benefits to the city and attracting investment. The new appointment to the foundation's leadership could influence the region's technology development strategy and further strengthen Barcelona's position as one of Europe's key digital hubs.
