A look at trends, innovations, and the Dutch presence at CES 2025

The first CES show took place in New York in 1967, attracting around 15,000 visitors. I wasn’t there, but I can imagine the buzz was all about the latest cassette recorders, colour televisions, and devices for playing stereo LPs.

I first attended CES about 20 years ago while working at Philips. We wanted to get a better grasp of how digital technology would change consumer electronics. What struck me most at the time was the obsession with digital screens—bigger was always better, but the real game-changer was making them thin enough to hang on a wall. The industry was also pushing refresh rates from 50Hz to 100Hz, while pixel counts kept climbing.

Now, in 2025, CES has grown into a massive event featuring almost every major tech company, with this year’s obsession being AI. AI was the hot topic this year, with plenty of excitement about its potential, but also a lot of debate about the challenges it brings.

The Dutch tech scene had a strong presence. Thanks to RVO and Techleap, around 40 startups shared a pavilion, drawing attention from visitors worldwide. This gave them a great chance to pitch their ideas. The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs stopped by, Prince Constantijn was a key supporter, and even the Consul General from San Francisco took a keen interest.

This was my fifth time at CES, this time representing PhotonDelta. Once again, I came back amazed—by the sheer size of the event (more than 125,000 visitors!), the flood of AI-related innovations, and the strong Dutch turnout. More than 40 startups, plenty of promising ideas, and a lively orange pavilion that attracted a steady stream of visitors. ‘Our’ startups—Ommatidia, Scantinel, Mantispectra, Senergetics and SuperLight Photonics—did a fantastic job.

What really stood out was how well these startups managed to get the attention of major tech companies, which are always on the lookout for new technology. A lot of scouting happens behind the scenes, and when the right people take notice, great opportunities come up.

CES always reminds me of how many opportunities are out there. The hardest part isn’t figuring out what to do—it’s deciding what not to do. This trip was especially valuable for reconnecting with key players, pitching PhotonDelta to Minister Beljaars and the new Consul General in San Francisco, and catching up with Jorn Smeets, our go-to person in Silicon Valley. Meeting former NXP colleagues was also a highlight, as those connections always prove to be valuable.

And while it’s not directly related to photonics, I found the progress in quantum computing particularly interesting. It seems momentum is finally building. Nvidia envisions a 20-year horizon, while Microsoft, IBM, and others anticipate the first meaningful applications within just 5 to 8 years.

Let’s see what next year’s CES brings!

Article by: Rene Penning de Vries