First Airline CEO Keynote Speech... Showcasing Mobility + IT Convergence at CES 2020

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] One key message running through 'CES 2020' this year is the 'convergence of future mobility and IT.' At this CES, not only existing IT and automotive industries but also CEOs representing the aviation industry will take the stage as keynote speakers to present a blueprint for the convergence of future mobility and the IT industry.

CES 2020, opening on the 7th (local time) in Las Vegas, USA, will feature keynote speakers including Kim Hyun-seok, President of Samsung Electronics Consumer Electronics (CE) Division, Ola K?llenius, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG, and Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines.

Typically, CES keynotes are called a barometer showing the trends of the IT industry for that year. From 2015 to 2016, CEOs of Ford, Daimler AG, General Motors (GM), and Volkswagen took the stage as keynote speakers, opening the 'era of automobiles.' In 2017, the CEO of Carnival Corporation, the world's largest travel company, took the stage, showcasing CES's expansion from home appliances to the travel sector.

The reason this CES keynote is attracting attention is that top-tier leaders from global IT (Samsung Electronics), automotive (Daimler AG), and aviation (Delta Air Lines) industries are all appearing as keynote speakers. It is evaluated as symbolically revealing the global IT industry trend moving from home appliances → IT → automobiles → mobility.

In particular, Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, stands out in this keynote speaker lineup. In the 53-year history of CES, this is the first time an airline CEO has appeared as a keynote speaker. This is interpreted as reflecting the recent trend of global companies exploring new future business areas that converge IT, automotive, and aviation, such as urban air mobility (UAM).

According to the Korea Information and Communication Technology Industry Association (KICTA), 390 Korean companies are expected to participate in CES 2020. This is an increase of 92 companies compared to the previous year. Overall, Korea ranks third in scale after the United States (1,933 companies) and China (1,368 companies). By company size, 6 large companies, 184 small and medium-sized enterprises, and about 200 startups will participate. Startup participation also increased by about 77% compared to last year (113 companies).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.