The Christmas lights are being taken down. The turkey and nut roasts have been polished off, and the sound of New Year’s fireworks has slowly faded. It’s one of my favourite times of the year. It’s time for CES.

Those of you that have been around here for a while will know that CES and I have gone back over 15 years, and whether it’s the hum of excited attendees through the exhibition floors or wondering along the Las Vegas strip, it’s a place I’ve been captivated by since day one.

This year is the second that the team at Etc. have taken to the show floor, and 2024’s event is a particularly special one for us as our EV charging solution is being recognised with a CES Innovation Honoree Award. I’m proud to see my team amongst the best and brightest in the tech world with our latest offering that transforms decommissioned green street cabinets (used to store copper broadband wiring) into EV charge points that have the potential to supercharge Britain’s electrification journey and the move to net-zero. Being recognised amongst the likes of Bose, Hyundai and Samsung at the biggest tech event of the year is a huge milestone for the business, and really solidifies our mission to disrupt the market for good and drive positive transformation.

It’s not surprising, then, that EV innovation will be close on my radar this year, alongside another key technology which I expect to take centre stage on the ground:

EV innovation
As many players in the electric vehicle sector race to lead the pack in battery technology, autonomous driving features and security, I’ll be keeping a close eye on the likes of Citroen and Fiat who have announced their plans to move towards a fully electric fleet and phase out all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

This CES, I’ll be spending time looking for solutions that address the biggest challenges we face when it comes to the adoption of electric, including the lack of a charging infrastructure. In 2024, sales of EVs are expected to slow as manufacturers struggle to move the EV transition beyond the early adopters, and I look forward to seeing how the industry plans to address those barriers.

A new age of digital health

We’re seeing the value of digital health innovation first hand at Etc.. In HealthTech, by developing a digital platform that identifies, monitors and reduces the risk of serious cardiovascular cases based on their medical history and vitals/biometrics. We’re supporting both clinicians and patients to take a preventative approach to health creating a more efficient, cost-effective healthcare system.
Over the coming week I am looking forward to surrounding myself with neighbouring innovations which are revolutionising the digital health space, from the role of AI in global health to accessible and affordable digital health products.

The future of Generative AI
Meanwhile in our developer community, as well as in verticals ranging from healthtech to fintech, drones and EV charging, AI is playing a critical role in enhancing efficiencies, removing burdensome coding tasks and speeding up testing and debugging – all of which help reduce costs and development time.

At CES, I’m looking forward to learning more about Samsung’s ambitions in the space. Samsung has already suggested that their Gen AI model, Samsung Gauss, will be deployed in a variety of products, and I expect conversations around how gen AI can transform the customer experience to be a hot topic at this year’s event. We’re only really scratching the surface of the true opportunity gen AI offers, so I’m excited to see what the leaders in the space have in store next.

If you’re heading over to Vegas this year, check out what we’re getting up to in EVs, Healthtech, Drones and more at our stands at CES Unveiled (you’ll find us on stand 219) and Pepcom – or send me a message and let’s connect at the main event.

P.s. If this year is your first year joining CES, I shared a few words of wisdom on what to expect (and pack) in a previous blog here.

See you in the trade show halls, conference sessions and coffee queues!!