CES Asia 2018 opened today, with more than 500 global companies introducing transformative innovation, including the latest in 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), vehicle tech and more. Opening day of Asia’s premier tech event featured keynotes from the leaders of Hisense, Huawei and BYTON, and major product announcements designed for the dynamic Asian marketplace. One of Asia’s fastest-growing tradeshows, CES Asia 2018 runs through June 15 in Shanghai.

Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), kicked off the day with a keynote address. “We’re proud to bring the entire tech ecosystem together this week in Shanghai to focus on the future of tech,” said Shapiro. “The innovations on the show floor create disruption, but also provide solutions. Self-driving vehicles can stop fatalities; AI is making us safer and healthier and drones are helping in disaster relief.”

He continued, “CES Asia focuses on what unites us rather than on what divides us.”

Following Shapiro’s remarks, Hisense Chairman Zhou Houjian and General Manager Yu Zhitao explored the future of display technology explaining how Hisense is creating a full-field view search interactive function, opening a new era of television image interaction. Zhou also touted its new AI technology developed specifically for the World Cup, which will provide an individualized, interactive experience for sports fans across the world.

Kevin Ho, Huawei, president, Handset Product Line, took the keynote stage in the afternoon to introduce its vision for a new image era in mobile technology, including its cutting-edge lens technology, 5G internet capability and the advanced GPU Turbo processor. Ho also launched Huawei’s “Next Image Awards” competition.

CES Asia 2018’s first day ended with BYTON President and Co-Founder Dr. Daniel Kirchert and Henrik Wenders, vice president of marketing, using the keynote stage to share the company’s vision of the future of self-driving cars. The session also marked the global reveal of BYTON’s K-Byte Concept car, which will transform the auto industry in the age of smart mobility.

The buzz around tech breakthroughs expanded beyond the keynote stage. In his 2018 Tech Trends to Watch presentation, Steve Koenig, vice president, CTA, predicted how leading trends, including AI, voice computing, robotics, self-driving vehicles, smart devices and more will impact our lives and offer unprecedented opportunities. Lesley Rohrbaugh, CTA’s market research director, also tackled the future of smart cities and how they are evolving throughout Asia with a specific focus on China, Japan and South Korea.

Pre-show and opening day of CES Asia featured a wide array of dynamic press events, with product and partnership announcements coming from CES Asia exhibitors, aimed at improving the user experience and bettering lives:

• BYTON launched its second concept car, the Byton K-Byte, designed for the age of self-driving and in-vehicle entertainment
• Cadillac presented the Super Cruise, the first hands-free driving system for the highway
• Honda announced the Honda Xcelerator project, which aims to cooperate with innovative enterprises worldwide
• Kia announced its Boundless for all vision, which aims to provide customers with broader solutions and reinforce its concept of “Mobility-ACE”
• Leapmotor Technology announced a strategic partnership with the Amap and Teld. Amap will provide support to Leapmotor inhardware, software and big data, while Teld and Leapmotor Technology will jointly build 80 million charging stations in China
• The Mercedes-Benz – MBUX user experience system based on artificial intelligence technology, as well as high-resolution digital light system with more than 2 million light sources. With its new vision of urban mobility, the smart vision EQ fortwo was on display with the Concept EQ, showcasing intelligent, electric mobility concept
• Mitsubishi offered attendees the unique opportunity to experience three of its innovative offerings, including EMIRAI4, Electrification and xAuto
• SENSEPLAY FPV Car Series took the number one slot in Last Gadget Standing, presented by Living in Digital Times

The CES Asia 2018 conference program tackles technologies ranging from 5Gconnectivity to blockchain and runs through Friday, June 15 at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre (SNIEC) and Kerry Hotel.

Owned and produced by International CES (Shanghai) Exhibition Co. Ltd. and co-produced by Shanghai Intex, CES Asia showcases major brands and innovative companies across several vertical markets in the Asian marketplace.