Shapiro opened the session with CTA’s State of the Industry. The CES 2025 industry overview highlighted the critical need for adaptability in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. The address underscored the theme of CTA’s new book, "Pivot or Die: How Leaders Thrive When Everything Changes." He drew parallels between historical innovations like fire, the wheel, and the airplane, and today's technological advancements.  

"As humans, we’ve done this over and over: Pivoting! Innovating! To survive and thrive," he said.  

Highlighting the agility of successful companies, Shapiro pointed to CES 2025 keynotes from Panasonic and other industry leaders like NVIDIA, Panasonic, Sirius XM, Delta, Volvo Group, Accenture, X, and Waymo. These companies, he noted, are not just riding the wave of change but creating it. "Technology is only as powerful as the people around it," Shapiro said, drawing attention to the intersection of technology and humanity in areas like AI, autonomous vehicles, and quantum computing.  

Together with Kinsey Fabrizio, President of CTA, Shapiro also announced the champions of the 2025 Global Innovation Scorecard, recognizing countries that foster innovation through supportive policies and practices. Shapiro and Fabrizio were joined onstage by leaders from Estonia, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.  

Guests Deena Ghazarian, Austere founder and CEO and immediate past chair of CTA’s executive board; and Debbie Taylor Moore, CTA executive board member and founder and CEO of Quantum Crunch, then joined Shapiro and Fabrizio onstage to announce CTA’s additional $5 million contribution to the Innovation for All Fund, which helps tech entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups break into the industry.  

Tech for Good, Tech for All: Panasonic’s Keynote at CES  

Panasonic’s groundbreaking initiatives unveiled at CES are a marvel of impactful innovation –– and so it seemed fitting that Marvel’s Captain America himself, actor Anthony Mackie, joined Yuki Kusumi, Group CEO, Panasonic Holdings Corporation, for this CES 2025 keynote. Panasonic has been a CES mainstay since the first show in 1967, and this year once again highlighted the company’s leadership, particularly when it comes to forward-thinking sustainable technology.    

Under the theme "Well into the Future," Kusumi highlighted Panasonic's commitment to developing green energy technologies and circular economy practices to address the climate crisis. He emphasized the importance of innovation in enhancing the sustainability of society and improving the health, comfort, and safety of families and individuals — including his own family in Japan, where his first grandchild was born three months ago.  

“Professionally and personally, I want to do everything I can to make sure that our future generations enjoy a healthy environment,” he said. “We must balance our drive to deliver innovation and create abundance with the need to do so sustainably.”  

Kusumi highlighted recent advancements and new solutions that exemplify this fundamental tenet of the Panasonic business model. The company has made significant progress on its journey to net-zero status; 44 of its facilities worldwide have achieved that goal. Additionally, two factories in Japan and Cardiff, Wales, are powered by Panasonic HX, a renewable energy solution running on hydrogen, solar panels, and battery storage units.    

And in the world’s first agreement of its kind, Panasonic is working with the leaders at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to use Panasonic HX at select public and government sites. “This is truly an opportunity to make a difference at scale,” Kusumi said.   

But it’s also important to make change at the individual level, and new Panasonic technology allows consumers to make more sustainable choices in the cars they drive and the homes they live in. As the largest manufacturer of electric car batteries in North America, Panasonic is leading the charge for cutting-edge EV technology with its latest 4680 battery platform that sets higher benchmarks for performance and capacity. At home, Panasonic’s new OASYS™ system makes living spaces healthier and more comfortable with a unified solution that heats, cools, and powers homes while using 53% less energy than traditional HVAC systems.   

That was only the beginning of the exciting innovation announcements during the Panasonic keynote at CES. Kusumi also introduced Panasonic Go, an AI orchestration and service platform with uses for everything from home appliances  to autonomous supply chains.   

AI is also integral to Umi, Panasonic’s new family wellness coach. Yoky Matsuoka, Executive Officer of Panasonic Group and CEO of Panasonic Well, said Umi helps “beautifully chaotic households” like hers — which includes aging parents, teenagers, and a 200-pound pet pig — “care, coordinate, and connect with each other.” During a live demonstration, Umi helped Matsuoka schedule a family hike and taco night, gave her updates on her father’s well-being, and asked if she needed a break from her busy day.   

“To tie it all together, it’s not about today; it’s about the future,” Kusumi said. “Our commitment to a sustainable planet is unwavering, and with AI-led solutions and Panasonic Go, we will lead a transformation that will have a powerful and positive impact on society.”   

Why It Matters  

The State of the Industry keynote at CES 2025 underscored the profound impact of innovation and adaptability on our world. Major announcements, such as the 2025 Global Innovation Scorecard and investments in quantum computing, highlighted technology's potential to solve humanity's greatest challenges. Panasonic's keynote further emphasized this vision, showcasing the tech leader’s commitment to sustainability and pioneering new markets in our data-driven, AI-powered future. Both keynotes challenged attendees to envision a world where technology uplifts every individual and community, paving the way for a brighter tomorrow.