My Takeaways from CES Asia 2019

I recently returned from CES Asia in Shanghai, and what struck me most about this year’s show is how innovative thinking is now the norm in China.

Now in its fifth year, CES Asia convened some 550 exhibitors and 43,000 attendees, including more than 1,400 media. Innovations in vehicle tech stood out at the show, occupying two exhibition halls.

Companies such as Audi and Nissan unveiled concepts to combat boredom in self-driving vehicles. I enjoyed a demonstration of Holoride with Audi China President Thomas Owsianski – a technology that turned driving into an adventure, making our vehicle into a video game, an underwater diving expedition and more.

Automakers weren’t the only stars of the show. From retail to robotics to 5G, CES Asia brought together the entire consumer technology ecosystem.

The show featured fashion runway icons like clothing designer Jason Wu, who explored the intersection of tech and fashion on a panel moderated by fashion journalist Shaway Yeh.

CES Asia highlighted startup success stories from around the world. Startup Park – the international destination for more than 115 startups from seven countries and regions – featured new ideas, products and budding entrepreneurs across industries. Twenty-four Swiss companies exhibited in the Swissnex China pavilion, showcasing the latest in drones, robotics, artificial intelligence and IoT. I opened the pavilion with a ribbon cutting alongside Swiss Ambassador to China Bernardino Regazzoni. 

The CES Asia keynote stage highlighted leaders from Audi, Delta, Horizon Robotics, Huawei, Hyundai, MSC Cruises and Wacom. Each keynoter offered attendees a vision of the future and focused on trends that will redefine entire industries. (Check out the videos here.)

My biggest takeaway: Innovation is truly global.

But CES Asia also reinforced how the global benefits of tech are under threat by tariffs. Tariffs on Chinese products not only deal a heavy financial blow to consumers here in America, but also fragment vital relationships between international innovators, too. Sadly, this friction was palpable at the show. Shutting our doors to international business will limit our access to ideas that will strengthen our own innovation ecosystem.

Chinese trade practices require attention, but the answer is not to close off the relationship. Rather, we must apply the same level of innovation I saw at CES Asia to our policy approach, forging a new partnership for a new decade – one that generates the same kind of creativity and ingenuity I saw in Shanghai.