i3 - November/December 2016 - 60

Business

By Shawn G. DuBravac, PhD

T H E EC O N O M I ST

What I Expect to See at CES

he 50th anniversary of the world's most significant
tech event is upon us. CES 2017 promises to be the
grandest CES in its long and prestigious half-century
history. Some 2.4 million square feet, roughly the size
of 50 football fields will be filled with the world's most innovative services and devices propelling us into the future.
We expect more than 165,000
attendees from some 150 countries to
attend CES 2017. What started 50 years
ago has blossomed into the single most
important global stage for innovation.
I estimate that nearly 20 percent
of the 3,800+ companies exhibiting
at CES 2017 didn't even exist as
companies three years ago. CES has
remained relevant for 50 years because
it is constantly and consistently the
venue for bringing the freshest technological innovations to market.
We've seen massive innovation
in a myriad of areas over the last 50
years and I believe the innovation over
the next 50 years will be even more

pronounced and transformative. Much
of the technological progress we've seen
has simply changed how we do things
and in some instances the things we do.
I believe many of today's technological
advances, the ones being unveiled at
CES 2017 and beyond, are fundamentally changing who we are. They are
changing how we relate to one another.
Here are a just a few things I expect to
see at CES 2017.

Transportation innovation could
change every decision we make
about how we live our lives.
Transportation is undergoing one of the
biggest revolutions since the wheel was

invented around 3400 BCE. Drones
are transforming how we see the world
and at the same time changing the pace
and tempo of interaction across widely
diverse environments. Driver assist
technologies, and eminently self-driving
technologies, are changing entirely how
we think about the world in which we
work, live and play.

Contextual technologies will
change the experiences we have.
Everything around us is digitizing
and connecting, and in turn creating
entirely new paradigms with it. Smart
is the new way of life. As the world
increasingly digitizes around us,
contextual technologies will grow in
prominence and we'll start to see this
evolution at CES 2017. From healthcare
to fitness to entertainment, contextual
technologies will take into account a
wide array of information to provide
the most relevant experiences.

Expect the unexpected.
As I've come to CES in recent years,
I've learned to expect the unexpected.
When everything is digitally available
and connected, everything can, and
will, be infused with technology and
become part of this massive landscape
of innovation. In a digitally connected
world, technology touches nearly every
industry, market and occupation. From
real estate, travel, tourism, new media
and professional sports, CES 2017 will
feature entirely new markets and companies. Areas of the global economy you
thought would never change are being
disrupted. Daily activities you thought
would forever remain the same are
transforming in an instant. Disruptive
technologies are colliding with things
that have remained largely the same for
centuries. The entire way we experience
life is fully being transformed. CES 2017
will be full of surprises. Come to CES
2017 expecting the unexpected.
n

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