Industry reactions to CES 2023
CES 2023 marked the return of the biggest annual events in the tech world. From gaming pods to e-ink laptops to a gel that lets you safely hit your hand with a hammer, this year’s showcase didn’t disappoint eager fans of the event.
We spoke to three industry leaders from Interbrand, Imagination and Tribal Worldwide about what excited and inspired them most about this year’s expo.
Christopher Nurko, Chief Innovation Officer, Interbrand
Advanced Connectivity, AI, Deep Tech, Advanced Mobility and Sustainability were the real fundamentals of CES 2023, and the event has become a global platform to show how technology is being used to address some of humanity’s greatest challenges around sustainability, climate change, energy and food supply.
CES has become a significant event for the automotive industry. AI and Smart City infrastructure are securing the EV future accompanied by further technologies such as intelligent charging robots for EV vehicles. On display were an impressive amount of vehicles and battery tech for mobility; from EV cars, bikes, trucks, marine vessels and airplanes. Exciting innovation from the likes of BMW’s lighter, color changing and more sustainable materials were the highlight of the show. The year’s event has shown us that mobility and sustainability are literally driving us toward a cleaner world.
Furthermore, the discussion around Health Tech took a different path when compared to the last few years. There, of course, were the usual gadgets and diagnostic devices but the greatest focus seemed to be on mental health, inclusive design and therapeutics, as well as specific chronic disease interventions. With impressive keynotes and expert sessions exploring the advancement of how tech and AI are enabling precision health, the future of health tech is looking very exciting.
Chad Hines, Business Development Director, Imagination
Three key themes we saw at CES 2023 included electrification, brand collaborations and sustainability.
Electrification -- From cars and boats to scooters and home generators -- everyone is exploring the best ways to electrify. Multiple automotive manufacturers such as Ram, BMW, Honda (under the brand name Afeela in collaboration with Sony) announced their latest electric vehicles at the event. With an increase in competition in this area, minimizing lead time and creating products that can be brought to market within the next 12-18 months seemed key across the board.
Brand collaborations -- Another central theme at this year’s CES was the rise in co-branding across industries. We saw several brands including Bosch, Magna and Valeo creating products that support the build of many different products across automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, and tech. Just like the Sony and Honda collaboration on electrification, these cross-industry collaborations create an opportunity to bring products to market faster, with less cost, and better quality.
Sustainability -- From smaller to bigger players, many brands centered their messaging around lowering their carbon footprint and create products in a more sustainable way. SK Innovation’s "Together in Action" exhibit featured a powerful experience urging participants, the broader business community and the world at large to join them on their net zero journey.
David Balko, CEO, Tribal Worldwide
We work a lot with Volkswagen, and it was another stellar year at CES for the auto manufacturers. It’s becoming a cornerstone of EV model launches, see, BMW, Volkswagen, Rivian and Peugeot. But the accompanying tech is staggering and shows how mobility and tech are completely interlinked. See QUALCOMM’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis and how Mercedes Benz is investing in infrastructure to rival Tesla’s. Given the queues at Tesla’s chargers in the UK this Christmas, things may get worse before they get better.
That said, the best thing about CES is that there is literally something for everyone. Food, Mobility, Sleep, Fitness -- whatever and there is a company developing something.