The CES (Consumer Electronic Show) 2025 in Las Vegas is more than a technology conference; it offers a preview of the future. With over 140,000 attendees, more than 4,500 exhibitors, and a sprawling 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space, CES is the place to explore cutting-edge innovations across various industries.
This year, three employees of the UND Center for Innovation (Anthony Maher, Travis Fretheim, and Kevin Lunke) had the invaluable opportunity to attend and explore emerging trends, forge new connections, and discover innovations that could shape the future of North Dakota’s tech ecosystem.
One of the most memorable moments of the conference came when Delta Airlines made a major announcement at The Sphere, the world’s largest and highest-resolution LED screen. Anthony Maher shared,
“The biggest media splash was made by Delta Airlines at the Sphere… to announce partnerships with YouTube and Uber, the goal of seamless personalized travel, and importantly, to highlight their rollout and partnership on eVTOL with Joby Aviation.”
Another major revelation came from Nvidia, which had a huge impact with its announcements. Anthony explained, “On Day 1, Nvidia… made the biggest announcement of the show. Extremely powerful personal computers for researchers, collaboration with Toyota to develop autonomous vehicles, work to enable humanoid robots, the world’s first AI foundation model and AI agents, which they hope to enable much of this.” It was clear that AI and autonomous technology were among the key themes of CES 2025.
Travis, CFI’s Technology Director, attended CES with a specific goal, “I went to CES to seek out companies that could benefit from the North Dakota ecosystem,” he said. “I was hoping to learn more about emerging industries and new technologies.”
One area that particularly stood out to him was autonomous vehicles and AI, which were recurring themes throughout the conference. Travis was also impressed by AARP’s booth, “Inside their booth, they had smaller companies… showcasing how the smaller companies’ solutions/services help solve different health issues.”
Kevin, CFI’s Commercialization Specialist, was equally impressed by the diverse range of technologies on display. “CES 2025 is one of the largest conferences in the country with over 140,000 attendees and 4500+ exhibitors. Our goal was to gain insights into the emerging technologies from various industries as well as showcasing UND and North Dakota as a potential opportunity to grow their business,” he said. He was particularly struck by innovations like Withings’ Omnia, a full-length smart mirror providing a health assessment, and Captify’s smart glasses that can translate speech between 40 languages.
For all three, CES 2025 was an overwhelming but fascinating experience. As Travis summed it up: “CES is like nothing I have been to before… It has companies that are small in size to huge companies. The booths vary in size… It really is amazing.” Kevin echoed this sentiment, describing the experience in one word: “Futuristic.” “It’s by far the largest conference we attended and had a huge global presence,” he said.
CES highlighted several key trends that will likely keep shaping industries in the future. These included AI, digital health, mobility/transportation, and sustainability. “It will be fascinating to watch how these trends and technologies are integrated into our everyday lives.”, Kevin observed.
Looking ahead, the team left CES with a wealth of knowledge, connections, and inspiration. CES 2025 was a reminder of just how much innovation is happening worldwide, and how North Dakota is prepared to play an important role in this exciting future. The team is more motivated than ever to continue fostering connections and exploring opportunities that will bring these technologies to life in North Dakota.