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03 December 2024

SIMO EDUCACIÓN 2024 confirms its leadership as the benchmark event in innovation and technology to improve education

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Organised by IFEMA MADRID in collaboration with EDUCACIÓN 3.0, the event attracted more than 10,000 visitors, including teachers, school managers, ICT coordinators, public officials, and professionals. The attendees filled the conference rooms, round table discussions and workshops, with much interest in artificial intelligence in education.

SIMO EDUCACIÓN 2024, the Salón Internacional de Technology e Innovación Educativa (International Exhibition of Educational Technology and Innovation) was held for the tenth time with the motto ‘Technology that inspires Educational Transformation’ with an incredibly positive outcome. Once again, it proved to be a benchmark space in Spain for innovation in education and the latest technologies applied to teaching and learning processes. During the three professional days, it attracted more than 10,000 visitors, including teachers, school and college directors, ICT coordinators, public officials, and sector professionals who saw the latest advances in technologies and methodologies applied to education.

Nuria de Miguel, director of SIMO EDUCACIÓN, was pleased with the success of her first edition managing the fair: “We are very pleased with all the results achieved in this tenth edition, both in terms of the figures, which have significantly improved compared to previous years, and the fantastic atmosphere in the hall, with bustling stands, and workshop and conference rooms packed with teachers, IT managers, and school directors interested in training on the latest trends. It was a real technology and innovation festival in the interests of improving education in our country”.

Numerous representatives from all the agents in the EdTech sector

SIMO EDUCACIÓN 2024 had sold out weeks before it began, with almost 140 participating companies showing products and services and giving demonstrations to the attendees who visited their stands. Among them were prominent technology companies such as ACER, Apple, ASUS, Epson, Google for Education, HP, Microsoft, Promethean, Samsung, and SMART; technology distributors, furniture providers, and materials for educational centres such as Abacus, Edime, Goldenmac, Rossellimac, SEMIC, Singladura, Nunsys, Synetech, and Xenon Computer, among others; as well as educational apps and platforms such as Additio App, Alexia, Canva, Edpuzzle, Mathew, Monk, One, Neo, Peñalara Software, Smile and Learn, Tellfy, and TokApp; along with companies and associations focused on robotics and programming such as BeByte, Codelearn, Complubot, Happy Code, HispaRob, Lego Education, Letcraft Educación, Ro-botica, and Robotix, among others.

From the conference perspective, there was notable attendance in all conference rooms, workshops, and round tables throughout the three days of the event, featuring over 90 educational experts who participated in exploring how technology is transforming teaching, learning across all educational stages, and training cycles, and how innovation and pedagogy play an essential role in improving the quality of the system.

As a reflection of the current main trend, the presentations related to AI generated significant interest. Notably, there was much anticipation for the talk "Artificial Intelligence as an Enhancer of Teaching Practice" by Educational Technology Professor César Poyatos, as well as the conference by Dr Cristina Aranda Gutiérrez, an expert in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, who addressed the challenges of this technology. Additionally, there were practical workshops, such as the one led by teacher Vicent Gadea, who taught participants how to craft prompts to obtain the best responses from AI, and the session by eTwinz, brothers Alberto and Mario Herráez, who explained how to integrate gamification and AI into lessons.

This theme was also the focus of the Directors' Day, with the motto "The Role of the Educational Leader: Key in the Age of AI." Launched with the support of Google for Education, it was an outstanding success, with the room filled throughout the morning with educational leaders seeking to discover how to transform their institutions through innovation, the main technological trends in the educational field, and key strategies for making proper use of these tools to deliver real value in education departments, teaching staff, and students.

Recognition for innovation in education

In addition, during the celebration of SIMO EDUCACIÓN 2024, the 12th Awards for Educational Innovation and Innovative Teaching Experiences 2024 were presented, recognising 14 innovative projects across different levels, from Early Childhood Education to University, employing various methodologies that address topics and challenges such as emotional education, STEAM disciplines, and the use of emerging technologies. The SIMO IMPULSO Awards were also presented, which, with support from the Fundación para el Conocimiento Madri+d and SekLab, highlighting and supporting business initiatives and start-ups that develop innovative, technology-based projects with significant potential for application in the education sector.

Additionally, for another year, SIMO EDUCACIÓN recognised the efforts of innovation in the field of technology for education by highlighting eight business solutions highlighted at SIMO INNOVA: Piscis by Linux Technology, AINARA by Smile and Learn the Educational Atlas from the National Geographic Institute (IGN), the Certification in Virtual and Augmented Reality for Education with ClassVR by Abacus RO-BOTICA, digital books on programming and computational thinking by EVERYTHING FLOWS BARCELONA CODELEARN, the VR simulator for future classrooms by ICONO, Doty Bot by Habilitas Educación, Magic Studio by Canva from Dream Lab, E-PISTEME Space STEM kits from E-PISTEME.

SIMO EDUCACIÓN has the support of INTEF (National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training), with participation from the Education Departments of Asturias, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Galicia, and the Canary Islands.

Likewise, the VIP Room at the Fair in 2024 was sponsored by Microsoft, functioning as an important meeting point throughout the three days of the Fair for networking among directors, speakers, and authorities.

10th edition: a party for the EdTech sector

Finally, it is worth mentioning that on the occasion of the tenth edition of SIMO EDUCACIÓN, the event invited the EdTech sector to celebrate in the Malinche venue. Sponsored by Canva, Google for Education, which also sponsored visitor registration, HP, Microsoft, Odilo, and Smart, the educational community enjoyed an evening of entertainment and networking on the first day.