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SPAIN – DES 2026 ANALYZES AND SHOWCASES THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF AI
Events are a mirror of society, reflecting its changes, innovations, and challenges. Therefore, it is no surprise that the latest edition of the Digital Enterprise Show was defined by AI agents, cybersecurity, talent, and an increasingly urgent question: how to turn technology into real business. For the tenth time, the tech and business worlds gathered at this event in Málaga from June 9 to 11.
For years, discussing AI at a tech congress meant talking about the future and its possibilities. However, at DES 2026, the conversation shifted direction. AI did not come to Málaga just to teach anymore; it arrived to demonstrate how useful it can truly be.
From June 9 to 11, DES – Digital Enterprise Show celebrated its tenth edition at FYCMA, bringing together more than 15,000 professionals, 400 tech companies, and 700 innovations focused on AI, data, cybersecurity, cloud, IoT, quantum computing, retail tech, marketing, startups, and digital enterprise.
The motto of this edition, “Machines Learn, People Lead,” perfectly captured the current moment. Machines learn, yes. But businesses are discovering that the real challenge lies in deciding which parts of the business can be automated, which decisions must remain in human hands, which data is reliable, which processes deserve to be redesigned, and what talent is needed so that all of this doesn’t just remain a nice demonstration.
From Show-AI to Operational AI
One of the core focuses of DES 2026 was AI agents—systems capable of executing tasks, coordinating processes, and operating within workflows. The organization highlighted solutions ranging from organizing hyper-personalized corporate travel to optimizing logistics routes, alongside experiences combining AI with haptic technology or extended reality. AI shifted from the inspirational to the operational. In logistics, this translates to more efficient routing; in tourism, into a more personalized relationship with the traveler; and in retail, into faster decisions regarding stock, demand, or customer experience.
The CIO Enters a Whole New League
DES 2026 also put the spotlight on a role undergoing a decisive transformation: the CIO. For a long time, it was viewed as a strictly technical profile tied to systems. Now, the role is much closer to the business core. Consequently, the CIO Summit, driven by CIONET, addressed this new perspective of the IT leader, featuring profiles from Mapfre, Moeve, Meliá, OUIGO, the Barcelona City Council, and tech companies like T-Systems, Maisa, or UiPath.
SMEs + AI
Another key focus of DES 2026 was on small and medium-sized enterprises: the “España Empresa Digital” forum addressed precisely this—how to integrate technology with a real impact on competitiveness, efficiency, and return on investment.
Málaga: A Technological Showcase
DES also reinforced Málaga’s role as one of the most active hubs on the European tech map. The 2026 edition projected an economic impact exceeding 30 million euros and a hotel occupancy rate of 98% during the week of the event.
However, the value was not just in full hotels, but in its strategic positioning. Málaga has spent years building a narrative linked to technology, investment, talent, and the digital economy. DES helped project this narrative to executives, companies, institutions, and startups from more than 40 countries.