Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco The automotive industry will play a particularly important role at the global technology fair in Las Vegas this year. bmwCEO Oliver Zipse and Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares will deliver keynote speeches. The fair is one of the most important car shows in the world, enthused Gary Shapiro, head of the Industry association CTA, which organizes the fair.
The CES is traditionally the most important meeting of the year for consumer electronics. Manufacturers such as Samsung, LG and Sony will present the latest televisions. Chip companies such as Qualcomm and AMD present their best processors, which will find their way into millions of end devices over the course of the year. Smaller providers are coming up with new devices for video gamers or content producers.
The auto industry has discovered CES as an important place for announcements over the past few years. Traditional car manufacturers want to use the trade fair to reinforce their claim to technological leadership. But not all automakers will be represented in Las Vegas. For example, the largest US carmaker Ford has no stand at CES. These are the most important questions and answers about the leading tech trade fair in Las Vegas:
How big is CES?
More than 100,000 participants are expected this year. More than 2400 exhibitors are registered. The convention center spans 186,000 square feet in downtown Las Vegas.
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In 2021 the fair was canceled due to the outbreak of the corona pandemic. Although the fair took place last year, key exhibitors canceled their participation at the last moment due to the emergence of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The organizers ultimately spoke of 40,000 participants. In 2020, the fair still had 171,000 visitors.
Last year, 40,000 people attended the fair.
(Photo: AP)
When does CES take place?
The trade exhibition will take place in Las Vegas from January 5th to January 8th. The press days begin two days beforehand. Important announcements by exhibitors are often published before the formal start of the trade fair.
What are the key trends at CES?
Traditionally, important product announcements for the entire year are made at the fair. Many of the devices presented there only come onto the market months later. New TV sets, new products for the networked home or new AR glasses are likely to be among the numerous new gadgets at CES.
How dominant are the car manufacturers at CES?
Companies from the automotive industry are becoming more important for the trade fair every year. The German car giants in particular – who are not necessarily known for their digital pioneering role – use the CES: Volkswagen is sending several top managers, including the head of the software division Cariad and the VW brand board. Mercedes-Benz is also presenting innovations in Las Vegas. Several electric car start-ups from the USA are hoping for a boost in orders for their new models from the CES. Stellantis and General Motors are among the major US automakers.
In addition, many suppliers take part in the tech fair. From Germany, for example, Bosch and ZF Friedrichshafen are represented, from Austria the contract manufacturer Magna.
Which car technologies are in focus?
Exhibitors in the field of autonomous driving are likely to attract a great deal of attention. The use of autopilots is considered the most important future technology in the transport sector, but no manufacturer has yet mastered it. At the CES, Benteler presents its autonomous minibus “Holon”. Mobileye from Israel, new partner of VW, is represented by its founder. The Florida start-up Luminar, producer of innovative laser sensors (lidar), is also hoping for orders.
There are also providers of fast charging methods, including Blink Charging from Florida. Its electric charging stations are aimed, among other things, at large commercial vehicle fleets.
German corporations such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are also exhibiting their innovations at the Las Vegas trade fair.
(Photo: IMAGO/Kirchner Media)
Why isn’t Apple at CES?
Although CES claims to be the world’s most important trade fair for consumer products, Apple, as the world’s most valuable technology company, does not have a booth. The underlying reason is that Apple wants to retain full control over its product presentations. Apple doesn’t need CES to introduce new iPhones or iPads. The Cupertino-based company organizes its product presentations itself.
What technologies can surprises be expected?
Especially in the field of health and nutrition, there should be news at CES. The sectors at the fair are still relatively young. The CES has dedicated numerous lectures and rooms on the exhibition center to both topics.
At a previous event, the organizers announced that there would be new products in the field of healthcare for the elderly. In addition, a number of devices are to be presented that are particularly aimed at the needs of women. In addition, there are some companies on the list of participants that produce meat substitutes, improve food production thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) or want to reduce the use of pesticides through genetic engineering.
What are the most exciting new gadgets?
CES is known for presenting exciting products that may one day change our lives – or disappear into the drawer of outlandish inventions.
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In 2023, the focus will be on products that harness the power of AI, such as Timekettle’s translation earbuds. The Chinese provider promises to translate spoken words in 0.5 to three seconds, enabling a simultaneous conversation in two languages - almost like in the science fiction series “Star Trek”. The large-scale practical test is still pending.
Other offers are aimed at a wealthy clientele. The Swedish manufacturer Candela is presenting its new “floating” speedboat in Las Vegas: The boat glides over the water on skids, powered by an electric motor, and is said to far outperform conventional boats in terms of speed and noise.
The robots from Aiper go under the water surface. The US-Chinese manufacturer has specialized in the production of cleaning devices that independently keep pools and swimming pools clean. In 2022, one of the devices won the “Red Dot” design award. Now the company in the sunny state of Nevada is hoping for new prospects.
More: These are the strongholds of inventors in Germany.