The .cat domain's anniversary, with Accent Obertwith Accent Obert

The anniversary

On 12 June, Accent Obert opened the celebration of the .cat domain’s anniversary at the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) in Barcelona. It was a day to look back at the past and imagine the future, bringing together some of the people who made the domain possible, representatives of the international domain industry, institutions and professionals from the digital world.

The .cat domain was the first on the internet designed for a linguistic and cultural community. ICANN, the body that coordinates internet domains, approved it in September 2005. Today it is run by Accent Obert, the name the Fundació puntCAT adopted in June 2025. The foundation works to make it possible to live fully in Catalan, including in the digital world.

Joan Abellà, Director General of Accent Obert, opened the day. He acknowledged the work of those who drove the project two decades ago and described it as a collective effort, made by thousands of people, organisations, companies and institutions.

The three sessions

Three sessions followed, each with its own theme:

• The origins. Journalist Mercè Molist moderated a conversation with Amadeu Abril and Manel Sanromà, two of the main driving forces behind .cat, about the years leading up to the bid and the technical and political obstacles that had to be overcome before it was approved.
• The domain in figures. Beatriz Guzmán, Director of Domains, and Pep Masoliver, Director of Technology, went through how .cat has grown, where it has taken root and which sectors use it most.
• The international view. Nacho Amadoz, Legal Director of Accent Obert, moderated a panel with Nico Caballero, Chair of ICANN’s GAC; Michele Neylon, of the registrar Blacknight; Ronald Schwärzer, who championed domains such as .wien and .cologne; and Manuela Becerra, of Nominalia / Team Blue.

On that last panel, the speakers agreed on the pioneering role of .cat and the influence it has had on other language communities. Messages of congratulations from registries and domain organisations in other countries were also screened. The celebration continued on 9 September with an event open to the whole .cat community at the Museu Marítim de Barcelona.

What we set up

At the COAC we set up Speech for a day that also looked beyond Catalonia. On their phone, anyone attending could choose the language in which to follow the event, and whether to listen to it through AI interpretation or read it as people spoke.