I was happy that Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CEA was able to make time for a short interview during the 2012 CE Industry Forum, which took place in San Francisco in October. It is a busy time of year when the industry leaders gather to predict the trends and discuss the consumer electronics issues for the next year. Instead of asking him about the industry, however, I was anxious to discuss his vision and personification of the CEA and the Innovation Movement along with his new book “Ninja Innovation” that will be released in January 2013.
Gary Shapiro CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association
Gary started with the comment - My mother sold encyclopedias door to door and she always told me to sell something I believe in. I believe in innovation.
This industry is making a tremendous difference
and we make a tremendous difference in the lives of people around the world and in their ability to access information, to overcome disabilities, to get education and to improve their lives. That is a wonderful position for industry to be in, to make such a difference in the future of the world. But there are barriers and we have to sometimes knock down those barriers. Sometimes there are old industries that want to preserve the status quo. Every innovation effects someone else’s business so we often have to battle existing industries. Sometimes there are laws that have to be changed; sometimes people just have to be aware of the opportunity that is there for business and jobs that is created by the new economy.
The reason I am passionate about is also personal
I am older, and I am a new father; I have four year old and a5 months old. I have two young children and I will not be around for most of their lives. I want to make sure that they have a good future and that is my obligation. I am in position to do it. I am also thinking of innovation in terms of the United States and for other countries facing similar financial issues. When we’re spending more than we have, we can only balance the budget in three ways: we can do it by raising taxes, cutting spending or through growth.
Growth comes from innovation
It is very important. The Internet for example created tremendous amount of growth. Similarly wireless has opened an opportunity for growth in other areas. Some people believe that is only manufacturing that is important, I think that there are opportunities in applications, service, creating new capabilities, new ways of education, medicine, and transportation. We are moving to this Internet of things where everything is connected, there are huge opportunities. Take for example the disabled community. If you are blind or if you are physically disabled, you be able in 20 years, to use cars for transportation that do not have drivers. That is tremendous example of how the society is changing. There will be fewer car accidents; there will be fewer emergency room requirements for people injured in car accidents. There are many opportunities and things are happening because of our technology. It is matter of fact how they put together what they do. It is difficult not to be excited.
When I first saw the Consumer Electronics Show
(1980 or 1981), to me it was the most exciting thing in the world. There was motion, snd you used all your five senses: hear, feel, see, taste, touch, and smell. You are able to evaluate the different offering from the companies were next to each other. In every hallway you can see the future. The exceptional products for me were the compact disc, the home VCR, and the personal computer. They were very exciting products because they allowed you to shift time and choose the experience. These products opened a better new world.
Now it is 30 years later
and we create a development in some many different ways it is better and we are going to the next phase to wireless, Internet of things, and driverless cars. All are the possibilities and frankly, almost certainties. I definitely didn't think that I was going to be doing this for over 20 years. But in that time, I have not done anything spectacular, it has been the scientists, engineers, and creative people who produce these wonderful products. I have been there like a surfer riding a technology wave, and enjoying every minute of it tremendously. I feel that I am very lucky.
Innovation Movement defines what the Electronics Consumer Show is,
the International CES is the biggest innovation show in the world. That is our vision. We wanted to be the largest innovation show in the world and we achieved it. The movement is more focus on public policy and making sure that government does the right things . We are working to see that the government does not block new competitors, and services, that the government allows us to have immigrants that offer strategic emigration. We succeed on both Republican and Democratic platforms in the US and they have agreed that we should have highly trained people. It requires free trade, and a reduced deficit. We didn't consider any of these issues at the start. I just came from the meeting where we were talking about the important issues to the growth of our industry. Not to any specific company but to the growth of innovation itself. That is what we are very active with and we will be for next year especially on the issue of strategic immigration, we want the best and brightest coming to the US.
I am releasing the new book “Ninja innovation”
This book, is already written, and is at the publisher. As my first book “Comeback” talks about policies, this one talks about specific strategies for companies, for countries, for people, it considers how to be innovative, and it is tied to marshal art training. I am a black belt in karate and my book talk about a discipline and the different ways of doing it.
My four years old is asks me: Am I being a Ninja, Dad? I try to teach him that
A Ninja does not just see a problem as a problem,
When a Ninja comes up against a brick wall, he can jump over the wall, knock it down, digs tunnel under it, and oercomes the problem. There is always a creative and different to solve a problem rather than just accepted that this is a problem. That is being a Ninja. My employees are the same species, they have to be creative, we have knock that wall, as long as the solution is ethical, legal and moral.
Lidia Paulinska-Thompson