Now in its fourth edition, the Ibiza Tech Forum has firmly established itself as the focal point 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 has taken a qualitative and quantitative leap, proving that the island is about far more 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 played by Ibiza on the global tech map, and how public administration needs to 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 still have unfinished business when it comes to sensorisation. ‘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 emphatically.
For Roig, a municipality wired up with sensors translates directly into an improvement in citizens’ quality of life, thanks to technology that allows local government to move from a reactive to a more proactive approach: ‘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 flows of people using drones and cameras to optimise public safety or efficiently contain a wildfire are just some examples of how artificial intelligence and technology are transforming local governance.’
The technological shield against ‘piracy’ in tourism
One of the big debates in island destinations is how to strike a balance between economic attraction and protecting the local way of life in the face of the overcrowding so fiercely criticised by residents of the Pityusic island, and by Spaniards in other parts of the country who see their areas pushed to the limit by a flood of tourists. For the mayor of Sant Josep, the key once again lies in controlling the data, as in many cases ‘the feeling of congestion is greater than the reality’.
Roig, however, points to what he sees as the real problem: illegal supply. Unlicensed transport operators, tourist accommodation without permits and clandestine parties fuel a shadow economy that is impossible to measure using traditional tools.
‘It is precisely that unmanaged tourism which creates the real sense of saturation,’ he explains. The council plans to tackle the issue by deploying camera and drone systems to help protect the ‘Ibiza product’, whose current erosion is felt above all in terms of image and communication.
Breaking down barriers to attract global investors
Ibiza offers 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 in search of safety, stability and well‑being.
Even so, the road towards full digitalisation is strewn with obstacles. Roig does not hesitate to spell out the barriers faced by local councils, which he says are not about money or political will, but bureaucracy and basic infrastructure. The mayor regrets that a technology event of this calibre has to rely on generators because there is not enough power supply, and points to the regulatory complexities involved in rolling out fibre‑optic networks.
A global shop window and testing ground
Hosting tech leaders, investors and international institutions is turning Ibiza into a global magnet. Far from wanting to turn its back on its party image, Roig argues that the island’s nightlife 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.’
To conclude, the mayor sends a clear message to 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 testbed for trialling technologies that can then be scaled up nationally and internationally.