UNIVERSITY DIGITAL LEADERS

University Digital Leaders is a «digital leadership» programme organised by the universities that make up the Telefónica Chairs Network to recognise the hard work and academic excellence of undergraduate and official master’s students, through their successful completion of a series of assessments based on three fundamental pillars: hard skills digital, soft skills and business skills.

Taking part in it is a student selection from the universities that make up the Telefónica Chairs Network.
At the next edition in 2026, the following will be awarded: awards valued at a total of 23.000 €.

COMPETITION FORMAT

The programme University Digital Leaders Telefónica’s programme is unique in Spain in its aim to identify the best university talent to lead the new digital era, because true potential lies not in technology, but in people.

It consists of a series of tests aimed at a selection of undergraduates and students on official Master’s programmes at the universities that make up the Telefónica Chairs Network, with a view to selecting the best university students with skills in the three fundamental pillars that define a digital leader in the 21st century:

Hard skills
Soft skills
Company

The 2026 edition will consist of two phases: one local and another national.

Local stage

It will take place on 13 October 2026 and will consist of two tests.
The first test It will be held on an individual basis and will take place in a venue provided by the University of Málaga (10.00–14.00, including lunch)
The second test It will take place in teams in the plenary hall of Málaga City Council in the afternoon (15:30–18:00)
During this local stage, four students will be selected to represent the University of Málaga at the national stage.

Final stage

The top four students from each university, as ranked in each local round, will take part in the final round.
This phase will take place on the following days 29 and 30 October 2026 in Madrid.
Test 1 of hard skills It will take place on Thursday morning at Campus 4 Madrid.
Round 2 of soft skills It will take place on Thursday afternoon at the Movistar flagship store.
Event 3 of the business competition and the closing ceremony will both take place on Friday morning at LaCabina. .

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

Students belonging to the Telefónica Chairs Network, including the Telefónica-UMA Chair, will be eligible to take part in the 2026 edition.

The requirements for each stage of the programme are set out below:

A. Initial phase:

1. You must not be over 27 years of age at the time of registration.
2. To study for an official bachelor’s or master’s degree that includes training in digital skills.
3. Students on an officially recognised degree programme must be enrolled on at least one module from the third year, or from any subsequent year.
4. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 of the official school system are not eligible to take part.
5. Students on an officially recognised Master’s programme will be able to do so regardless of the year they are enrolled in.
6. Students enrolled on a PhD programme are not eligible to take part.
7. Registration will take place via the website of the participating university at which the student is enrolled.
8. Students enrolled at other universities not affiliated with the programme will not be eligible to take part.
9. A student enrolled at a university participating in the programme may not take part in the programme at a different university which is also participating in the programme.
10. The number of places is limited by the capacity of each town hall’s plenary chamber. Should the number of registrations exceed this limit, the selection of
will be carried out in accordance with the CV or academic record.
11. The top four students will be the ones who go through to the final stage.
12. We encourage the involvement of female talent and the submission of diverse applications.

B. Final stage :

1. Only the four students per university who have qualified in each initial phase will be eligible to take part.
2. This stage will take place in Madrid.
3. Each university, through its respective Telefónica Chair, will cover the costs of travel and accommodation.

AWARDS

A total of 23.000 € in the form of prizes for the students who achieve the highest scores across all the tests in each stage.

Prizes for the final stage

First Prize in the Final: €3,000
Second Prize in the Final: €2,500
Third Prize: €2,000
Fourth Prize in the Final:
1.000 €
1.000 €
1.000€
1.000 €

Prizes for the initial stage

First prize: €500
Runner-up: €300
Third place: €100
Selected room: €100

In addition,, all participants will receive the “University Digital Leader” award, presented by Telefónica in collaboration with the participating universities.