“CES looks different this year, but the foundation of the show
– innovation, connection, collaboration – remains strong and consistent.”
(Gary Shapiro, President & CEO of CTA)

As exhibition is one of the areas that are most affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic, CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics and technology showcase, is no exception. For the first time ever in its 55 years of history, this year CES 2021 was held online from January 11th to 14th (US local time). As a participant of CES 2019 and 2020, this year SK Innovation also took part in the event by forming 350 members and executives to observe the event.

01 | CES 2021 Overview

Being the biggest annual technology tradeshow that can give everyone a good look at our near future, CES 2021 attracted a lot of attention all over the world despite some limitations of an all-digital event. Based on the numbers revealed on CES homepage (https://digital.ces.tech), there were 1961 exhibitors attended CES 2021. The U.S. Consumer Technology Association (CTA), organizer of CES, also said that it expected about 150,000 people across the globe to attend this year event, remotely though.

As an online event, CES 2021 was actually a great opportunity for more people to take a peek at the next-generation technologies and cutting-edge trends, regardless of location. President & CEO of CTA Gary Shapiro said, “The pandemic forced us to take a step back from a traditional CES, throw out the playbook and transform how we’d bring the tech community together.” “CES looks different this year, but the foundation of the show – innovation, connection, collaboration – remains strong and consistent. The digital transformation will continue for years, even as we return to Las Vegas in 2022. We have seen the value of connecting digitally and we can welcome even more people from around the world.”

At the press conference on the first day of the show, Gary Shapiro also pointed out 6 key trend technologies’ to watch at CES 2021: ▲ Vehicle Tech, ▲ 5G, ▲ Digital Health, ▲ Digital Transformation, ▲ Smart Cities, ▲ Robotics & Drones. Obviously, COVID-19 was a big topic in CES this year. The pandemic has forced our lives to change a lot, but it also brought many technology innovations, especially in healthcare, safety, and non-face-to-face communication.

▲ CES 2021 Key Trends (Source: CTA)

02 | ESG in the spotlight

ESG is another remarkable topic among various corporations in CES 2021. This is a big difference compared to CES 2020. Bosch, the multinational engineering & technology company, announced that it has already reached their goal of being carbon neutral in 2020 at 400 sites around the world through “Like A Bosch”, the company’s campaign to respond to climate change. In addition, Bosch was the first automotive supplier to commit the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company now is on its way to reach the next target, which is, to reduce indirect CO2 emissions by 15% by 2030.

Under the theme of “Better Life For All,” Samsung Electronics devoted one-third of the entire speech time at this year CES to talk about ESG, expressing its commitment to the environment, society and a sustainable future through technological innovations and programs such as energy-efficient DRAM and SSD, Galaxy Upcycling, Eco Package, etc.

▲ (Left) Bosch announces it has become carbon neutral in 2020 (source: https://youtu.be/qOZIuVsYcws) / (Right) Samsung Electronics shows its commitment for a sustainable future (source: https://youtu.be/JKI600hKhWk)

Following last year’s popularity, electric vehicle once again became a major theme in CES 2021. The EV-related exhibitors received a lot of attention not only for innovative technologies but also its important role to make a greener and more sustainable world. General Motors (GM) showed its zero-crashes, zero-emissions and zero-congestion vision and how the car maker is on its way to make a mass adoption of EVs. Marry Barra, CEO of GM, said that by 2025, the company will make a total investment of 27 billion USD in EV and autonomous vehicles, and launch more than 30 new EV models in the global market. Through its participation, GM also introduced its Ultium battery platform, which has been catching people’s eyes recently.

Panasonic, a big name in global EV battery markets, announced that it will build a supply chain of sustainable battery raw materials through partnerships in battery production, procure raw materials for battery production through recycling, and develop cobalt-free batteries.

▲ (Left) GM introduces its Ultium battery platform (source: https://www.gmexhibitzero.com/live-talks.html) / (Right) Panasonic talks about sustainable battery raw materials (source: https://youtu.be/gMWIlYFaZUI)

03 | What we draw from CES 2021

The all-digital CES 2021 was an opportunity for a broad audience, including our members, to have a better look at how digital transformation is taking place in all areas. CES has also been proving that we can create greater innovations through collaboration across industries, such as 5G and electric cars. Moreover, this global big show showed us good examples of redefining various problems in our society and suggested ways to solve them through advanced technologies.

Among the major themes that were frequently mentioned in CES 2021, ESG was definitely what we cared the most. It has been a very significant keyword to not only SK Innovation but also the whole SK Group. The specific term may have only been mentioned frequently not long ago, but our efforts to accelerate ESG management has been going on for years. Stories and experiences shared by enterprise like BOSCH is a good example for us to keep moving forward to reach our Green Balance 2030 target. We can also find some common voice between our social value creating activities and Samsung Electronics’ diversified programs for a sustainable future. GM, Panasonic and other players in EV & EV battery market are the evidence for a fast-growing industry with many rooms for innovative and green technologies.