On January 10, 2018, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Oleksandr Danyliuk participated in the official opening of the Ukrainian stand at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) as part of his working visit to the USA. CES is one of the biggest consumer electronics conferences which takes place in Las Vegas (USA).

The Minister of Finance held an opening speech along with the representatives of the organizers of the Ukrainian stand which are for second consecutive year the Ukrainian Association for Venture and Private Capital (UVCA) and Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF).

“I am glad to see innovative Ukrainian companies whose development is in line with the crucial global trends. I believe in the free market, private initiative, creativity and hard work. This is what enabled start-ups from Ukraine to participate in one of the key global technology exhibitions in Las Vegas”, Oleksandr Danyliuk said.

This year, the Ukrainian stand presents 10 selected start-ups, but more than 20 companies from Ukraine are attending the exhibition this year. They have presented their projects in various areas ranging from technologies for agriculture and 3D printing to road control systems and virtual reality.

“The development prospects of the global IT industry are stunning: the volume of the global IT market will reach USD 3.7 trillion in 2018, which is 4.3% higher compared to 2017 (USD 3.5 trillion). Nations aspiring to establish a modern, diversified and sustainable economy should build it on the basis of innovative technologies. Ukraine will, of course, be striving to develop this kind of economy. Our country has great chances to become one of the leading IT-hubs in Europe and, possible, worldwide. We have great start-ups, a well-developed infrastructure, highly qualified professionals and the government which understands the importance of a friendly business environment and is ready to work on this”, the Minister of Finance added.

The first CES exhibition took place in June 1967 in New York and attracted 200 participants and 17,500 visitors. From 1978 till 1994, the exhibition took place twice a year: in Las Vegas (January) and in Chicago (June). Since 1998, CES has been taking place in Las Vegas on the annual basis.

Presently, CES is the biggest consumer electronics exhibition worldwide which has been promoting the development of innovations in consumer technologies since more than 40 years. More than 2,500 participants come to Las Vegas every year to present their latest developments in 15 categories. The key trends in 2018 include artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Also, the visitors can see voice-steered house assistants, smart houses, self-driving vehicles etc.