EU delegation at CES 2023: EIC-backed startups showcase deeptech and win industry recognition

From 5 to 8 January 2023 the consumer electronics show CES in Las Vegas hosted one of the largest gatherings of global tech industry players. The European Innovation Council and its Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 brought a delegation of 20 EIC-funded small and medium sized enterprises, startups and scaleups to exhibit at the European Pavilion and to pursue commercial opportunities in the United States. The visitorship statistics promoted by organisers underline the scale of the event. More than 5 000 exhibiting companies were present, 4 700 members of the global media attended, and over 100 000 visitors came from more than 173 countries.

Recognition and optics: the CTA Global Innovation Scorecard and the European Pavilion

At CES the Consumer Technology Association presented its Global Innovation Champion award to the European Union. The CTA said its Global Innovation Scorecard assessed 71 countries across 40 indicators grouped in 17 categories to produce a comparative analysis of the policies and practices that help or hinder tech innovation. Jean David Malo, Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, received the award from CTA President Gary J. Shapiro.

Who represented Europe at CES 2023

The EIC OTF Programme 2.0 selected 20 EIC-backed companies to showcase innovations spanning artificial intelligence, robotics, consumer electronics, digital health and smart cities. Selection criteria included the quality of internationalisation plans, technological fit with CES, and the companies' capacity to pursue commercial opportunities abroad. The delegation also took part in a preparatory workshop in advance of the tradeshow that covered logistics, business etiquette and pitching tips.

Networking and the European Night Reception

Beyond the exhibition floor, the European Innovation Council and representatives from national pavilions organised an invitation-only European Night Reception to connect European exhibitors with investors, corporates and policy actors. More than 300 participants attended. Guests included royalty and senior figures such as Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands and Antonino Laspina, Coordinator of ITA in the US.

The reception combined pitching by participating companies with a panel discussion that gathered leaders from industry and public bodies. The agenda aimed to turn the visibility generated at CES into concrete partnerships, an objective that EIC organisers emphasised as central to the Overseas Trade Fairs Programme.

Policy debate and the EIC role

A high level panel on How Governments are Approaching Emerging Technologies included Jean David Malo of EISMEA. He stressed the EIC's role in supporting visionary entrepreneurs in Europe and highlighted not only new financing models but also policy choices that can support emerging technologies. The exchange reflected the dual role the EIC plays as both a funder of frontier technologies and a convenor for policy discussions about scaling and regulation.

Company highlight: Biel Glasses and the Panasonic announcement

One of the most visible commercial announcements at the European Pavilion came from Biel Glasses, a Barcelona based company developing smart glasses and mixed reality solutions for people with low vision. During CES the company made public a business agreement with Panasonic to combine Biel Glasses' adaptive low vision technology with Panasonic's lightweight 5.2K HDR capable VR goggles.

EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 explained

The EIC OTF Programme 2.0 aims to help EIC funded companies scale internationally by subsidising participation in strategic trade fairs. It builds on an earlier pilot that ran between 2017 and 2018 and is active across 2022 and 2023. The programme offers selected beneficiaries the opportunity to showcase at up to 15 international trade fairs covering sectors such as consumer electronics, digital health, and industrial technologies. Services include on site visibility at the European Pavilion, preparatory workshops, coaching, and B2B matchmaking.

Next steps and continuity

At the time of CES the EIC announced the next delegation under OTF 2.0 would exhibit at Arab Health 2023 in Dubai from 30 January to 2 February 2023. The broader ITF 3.0 iteration of the programme that the EIC later described extends activity to 2024 through 2026 with a series of trade fairs across the United States, the Middle East and Europe in defined sectoral tracks such as biotech and cleantech.

Implications and a cautious reading

Trade fair exposure and industry awards can boost visibility and create business leads. They do not, by themselves, guarantee commercial success. Deals announced onstage should be followed with scrutiny about commercial terms, scope of deployment and timelines. Public recognition by an industry association like the CTA helps with visibility but should not be read as a neutral audit of policy performance. For policymakers the priority remains translating short term publicity into sustainable routes to market for European deeptech firms, including access to scale finance, regulatory clarity and robust international partnerships.

Where to follow up

Full details about the EIC OTF Programme 2.0 and future trade fair calls are available on the EIC Community Platform. The EIC and EISMEA publish stories, open calls and event calendars there. The EIC also posts updates on social channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Companies that want to apply to future calls are advised to review the published eligibility criteria, attend preparatory webinars and prepare clear internationalisation plans.