Published on •Updated
Now in its fourth edition, the Ibiza Tech Forum has firmly established itself as the place where the present and future of technology meet. This year, the main stage was set in the spectacular Caló de s’Oli Auditorium, where the forum took a qualitative and quantitative leap forward, showing that the island has far more to offer than its world‑famous reputation as the global party capital.
Euronews spoke to Vicent Roig, mayor of Sant Josep de sa Talaia, the municipality hosting the event, about the strategic role Ibiza plays on the global tech map, and how public administration must evolve by harnessing the power of data.
Governing with empirical data, not beliefs
After taking part in the forum’s institutional panel, Roig drew a clear conclusion: public authorities have unfinished business when it comes to deploying sensors. “It is one thing to make decisions coloured by political leanings or beliefs, and quite another to make decisions based on hard empirical data,” the mayor told this outlet in no uncertain terms.
For Roig, a municipality equipped with sensors directly translates into a better quality of life for residents, thanks to technology that allows a shift from a reactive administration to a preventive one: “Knowing in real time when a rubbish container is full, detecting a water leak immediately so the supply does not have to be cut, or monitoring the movement of people through drones and cameras to optimise public safety or efficiently map out the perimeter of a fire are just some examples of how artificial intelligence and technology are transforming local governance.”
A technological shield against ‘piracy’ in tourism
One of the big debates in island destinations is how to strike a balance between economic appeal and protecting the local way of life in the face of the overcrowding so often denounced by residents of the Pityusic island, and by Spaniards in different parts of the country who see tensions rise in their areas under the weight of a tourist influx. For the mayor of Sant Josep, the key once again lies in data control, since in many cases “the feeling of congestion is worse than the reality”.
However, Roig identifies the real problem: illegal services. Unlicensed transport operators, tourist accommodation without permits and clandestine parties feed an underground economy that is impossible to quantify by traditional means.
“It is precisely that tourism we do not control that creates the real sensation of saturation,” he explains. The council plans to tackle this issue by introducing camera and drone systems to help protect the “Ibiza product”, whose current erosion is felt mainly in terms of its public image.
Overcoming barriers to attract global investors
Ibiza has an unbeatable combination: innovation and quality of life. Thanks to its international connections, more and more families and professionals are choosing Sant Josep as a year‑round base, seeking safety, stability and well‑being.
Yet the road towards full digitalisation is not without obstacles. Roig does not hesitate to point to the barriers facing local councils, which are not about money or political will, but about bureaucracy and basic infrastructure. The mayor laments that a tech event of this calibre has to rely on generators due to an insufficient power supply, as well as the regulatory complexities involved in rolling out fibre‑optic networks.
A showcase and testing ground for the world
Hosting tech leaders, investors and international institutions positions Ibiza as a global magnet. Far from wanting to disown its party reputation, Roig insists that the island’s leisure scene is also synonymous with cutting‑edge innovation: “What is created in Ibiza is exported to the rest of the world, not only in music but also in the management of major leisure events.”
In closing, the mayor has a clear message for companies and investors looking towards the archipelago: Ibiza and Sant Josep offer legal certainty, quality of life and, above all, a unique territory. As an island of 542 square kilometres, it becomes the perfect test bed for technologies that can later be exported nationally and internationally.
Video editor • Juan Isidro Montero Garcia