By John Lummus, President & CEO, Upstate SC Alliance
BMW. Bosch. Schneider Electric. Samsung. Abbott. Magna International. Plastic Omnium. ZF.
Beyond sharing a presence in the Upstate, there’s another common thread to these companies: Each seized the opportunity to showcase their latest innovations at the 2022 CES.
That’s the premier technology event formerly known as the “Consumer Electronics Show,” where hundreds of thought leaders gather “to show you how tech has never been more important in our lives,” according to the event site.
And there’s an emerging secret among the economic development community: CES is the place to be for exploring how manufacturing and technology collide, for catching mobility innovations as they roll out, and, for showcasing ecosystems like South Carolina to companies who might be considering new growth markets.
The Upstate Alliance team did just that in early January, partnering with Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) and the South Carolina Department of Commerce to represent our region as an international powerhouse destination where manufacturing and technology intersect — an environment just right for business.
To share in the storytelling, Team SC was joined by Pozyx, a Belgian real-time tracking technology provider with a Greenville office, and eGroup, a Charleston-headquartered IT service provider with clients in industries including health care, financial services and advanced logistics.
For the companies, it was a chance to explore what’s happening in the industry, connect with potential clients, and deepen their connections. Yves Ghys with Pozyx calls the experience “a huge success.”
“We welcomed people from across all industries and with various interests in our location-based solutions,” Ghys says. “We had amazing brainstorm sessions around new RTLS (Real Time Location Systems) ideas and use cases and a wonderful context to network.”
The state’s industry research assets and engineering talent were on display, too: the Transportation & Vehicle Technology highlights included The Indy Autonomous Challenge, held in October 2021, using the first-ever autonomous-capable race car which was engineered by CU-ICAR’s educational vehicle prototyping program, Deep Orange.
Did you say “economic development”?
You might be asking, “Wait? Economic development? Who else is there?”
The event’s prominence in economic development circles is still growing, though for the Upstate Alliance and CRDA, this was our second time exhibiting.
We connected with our friends with Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) — a great fit, since we were joined by a Belgian company — and at the Netherlands Consular offices.
And, this year, we were in good company: other international community exhibitors included the Istanbul Development Agency, the Italian Trade Agency, and the Japan Tech Project.
For communities like the Upstate and Charleston, being a player on a field like this is huge. It helps us get our name out, increase visibility for the innovations emerging from our bright minds, and meet with several growing technology companies that have an interest in expanding to the Southeast.
And with product categories including 3D printing, AI/robotics, health & wellness, IoT infrastructure and transportation/vehicle technology, it’s hard to find a frontier that doesn’t align with South Carolina’s manufacturing ecosystem.
Support the Upstate’s Global Marketing
Wondering how your company can play a role in representing the region? Contact Lauren Scoggins, lscogins@upstatealliance.com, to learn more about #TeamUpstate.
-Upstate SC Alliance
