Innovation is the DNA of CES 2019

Source: CTA. Shapiro discusses Ninja Future with Liz Claman of Fox Business at CES 2019.

The next generation of innovation is taking centrestage this week at CES 2019, including technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), smart cities, resilience, sports, vehicle tech, digital health and more. Resilience at CES 2019 showcases technologies and response innovations that help keep communities healthy, safe, warm, powered, fed and secure.

Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro took to the CES keynote stage to announce the release of CTA’s newest book, Ninja Future. The book explores the accelerating pace of innovation and gives a 360-degree view of the latest tech trends.

Next, Shapiro announced the launch of the 2019 International Innovation Scorecard, an evaluation of 60 countries and the EU across 25 indicators, ranking how well they support innovation.

In closing, recognizing the benefit that diversity offers the tech industry, Shapiro announced that CTA will invest US$10 million in venture firms and funds focused on women, people of colour and other under-represented startups and entrepreneurs.

Following Shapiro’s address, IBM Chairman, President and CEO Ginni Rometty explored what’s next for IBM across data, Blockchain, AI and computing. While Rometty explained that data is the “world’s greatest natural resource,” she noted “scaling these technologies is what really matters.”

Complementing the CES Corporate Keynotes, the CES 2019 conference programme features industry leaders and visionaries in more than 250 sessions focused on disruptive industry trends. During the session AI Use Cases: Health, Mobility and Cybersecurity, executives from USAA, Philips and Veoneer highlighted the need for high quality and clean data emerged to support the growth and evolution of AI in solving problems.

C Space brings together leading CMOs from more than 72 companies together. The C Space session on 7 January, Future Focus: With Forbes’ Most Influential CMOs, explored business strategies and technologies transforming brands. Deborah Wahl, CMO of Cadillac, said when it comes to investing in new technologies, “pick one or two and then see it to the end – really see it through – instead of a lot of different experiments.”

Susan Vobejda, CMO of The Trade Desk, said that to innovate she is constantly looking for what resonates personally and emotionally with customers.

CES is the only global event that combines the full 5G and mobile connectivity ecosystem. On 8 January, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg discussed Verizon’s future for 5G in his keynote. “5G will change everything…5G is the promise of so much more than what we have seen from wireless technology,” Vestberg told CES attendees.

He highlighted how the next-generation wireless network will not only be a “quantum leap” in speed, reliability and connectivity for everyday users, but also enable next-gen technology. Skyward, a commercial drone company and Verizon partner, plans to use the telecom giant's 5G network to connect one million drones, and performed a live, autonomous drone flight in Los Angeles, US that Vestberg launched remotely from the keynote. In the coming year, Verizon plans to launch 5G networks across more cities and phones.

Details:

CES 2019 runs through January 11.