Young people in Spain have long imagined careers in football or education. Today, the horizon is widening toward computer science and artificial intelligence (AI). As one student, Andreu Gascón, explains, a love for fixing and building computers began early. Now at 18, she is immersed in a degree launched by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in 2021, reflecting growing demand from private companies and public administration for AI professionals.
For years the industry has pointed to a lack of national AI talent as a bottleneck to growth. The move to fix this gap centers on training more specialists who can fill in-demand roles. A recent report by the analytics firm Iberinform shows as many as 52 institutions across the country offering AI training, including university degrees and specialized master’s programs. Many programs have existed for years, and about 12 percent have been created in the last decade.
Nevertheless, academics insist that AI education must expand further. Although master’s programs attract around 450 applicants annually, the joint degree offered by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), the Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) accepts only 50 students. “We wonder why more room isn’t made available,” notes Ulises Cortés, coordinator and researcher with four decades of industry experience, expressing interest in expanding enrollment. The degree is also offered at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), which currently enrolls about 40 students, underscoring the ongoing demand for AI training across major Catalan universities.
Spain accelerates AI deployment
The rising popularity of deep learning tools has brought AI into everyday life, from voice assistants to autonomous vehicles. This surge has sparked broad interest in AI among students and adults alike. “Our challenge is to demystify artificial intelligence. The talk often centers on science fiction, but the real task is building mathematical models to solve concrete problems,” explains Anders Jonsson, director of the UPF Artificial Intelligence Research Group and head of study for auto and engineering degrees at UPF.
“Our challenge is to solve the mystery of artificial intelligence. There’s a lot of talk about machines that will dominate the world, but it’s about mathematical models to solve specific problems.”
According to the CYD Foundation, student interest in mathematics in Spain rose by about 28 percent between 2016 and 2021, reaching over 13,000 learners. At UPF, applications for AI-related studies surged from about 90 to 215 in four years, while UAB saw more than 300 applications in a recent cycle.
The advent of artificial intelligence is reshaping everyday life
Many students first discover AI through master’s programs at institutions like UPC or UPF. Lucía Urcelay, a 23-year-old biomedical engineer, explains that in her third year she chose to focus on applying AI to medicine and health. Marta Barroso, a 27-year-old AI researcher, followed a similar path after studying computer science. “AI lets me be creative and help people at the same time,” she says.
high occupancy
AI work is often linked to lucrative, stable employment, a major draw for students. “When you start, you know you’ll leave with strong job connections and a solid salary,” Andreu notes. Jonsson adds that this appealing prospect motivates many students to pursue AI-focused capstone projects and research opportunities during their studies.
Across UPF’s five engineering degrees, enrollment rates for men and women have shown strong demand, fluctuating from a low of about 76 percent in 2017 to a high near 98 percent in 2021, signaling a robust labor market expectation for AI professionals. Cortés observes that graduates typically secure positions during their studies or shortly after graduation, a trend that reinforces the perceived value of AI training.
“Our students have never been unemployed, they find jobs while they study or graduate”
Addressing the gender gap
Another urgent priority is correcting the gender gap within the AI sector. Women currently represent a small fraction of AI technicians, a mismatch that feeds biases in algorithms. “The more women join the industry, the fairer the algorithms will be in decisions about sex, race or gender,” explains Laia Vilardell, a student at UAB. While progress is gradual, universities are beginning to show changes. At UPF, female enrollment in mathematical engineering with data science has varied from about 32.5 percent to 54.8 percent over the past four years, a sign that female role models matter and that visibility helps attract more women to technology careers.
increase knowledge
Beyond universities, AI knowledge is expanding through broader public education efforts. For instance, in May, Ciudadania, an interactive Catalan course designed for non-technical audiences, was launched with support from the Department of Digital Policies, UPC and Fundació i2CAT, led by Professor Karina Gibert. The goal is to educate citizens with no prior training in technology about AI. Government initiatives are also expanding, with plans announced to establish university chairs focused on AI applications in diverse fields from aeronautics to health sciences. The initiative, part of Spain’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (ENIA), includes a multi-year investment intended to mobilize funding for research and scholarships to train researchers across the country.