Tag Archive for CES Incheon IFEZ

Incheon-IFEZ, From Smart City to AI City: The Next Evolution of Urban Life

January 15, 2026 Global Business, Songdo IBD in the News Comments Off on Incheon-IFEZ, From Smart City to AI City: The Next Evolution of Urban Life

incheon, south korea

Incheon, South Korea

CES 2026 drew 148,000 attendees, including nearly 7,000 members of the media, making it the largest CES since the pandemic. Among the 4,100 exhibitors was the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ), which used the global stage to announce Incheon’s evolution from “Smart City” to “AI City.”

For over 20 years, Incheon has been at the forefront of Korea’s transformation and innovation and is now becoming an “AI City” that integrates AI technologies across the entire urban landscape. 

As Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok stated, “CES 2026 is an important stage for presenting Incheon’s vision for its next growth leap—one that has led Korea’s transformation and innovation for over the past two decades—into an AI City. We will continue to do our utmost so that Incheon can establish itself as a leading global AI city.”

Beyond Smart Cities: The AI City Evolution

In my 2024 article “Smart Cities: A Tale of Innovation and Collaboration in South Korea,” I examined Songdo’s development within IFEZ, a community of 167,000 residents featuring underground waste tubes, traffic sensor networks, and integrated platforms that create a “15-minute city.”

Smart Cities: A Tale of Innovation and Collaboration in South Korea

Two years later, the strategic landscape has shifted. The concept of a “Smart City” has become commoditized. IFEZ’s pivot to an “AI City” signals that the next phase isn’t just about connected infrastructure but about artificial intelligence fundamentally reshaping how cities function. 

Where Songdo laid the Smart City foundation with IoT sensors, the AI City vision layers sophisticated AI across those systems, moving from reactive data collection to predictive urban management.

Incheon has been central to Korea’s economic transformation—the international airport has reshaped global connectivity, and the free economic zone has drawn significant international investment.

The transformation from Smart City to AI City isn’t just about deploying technology; it’s about evolving the narrative. Cities that successfully attract international investment don’t just build infrastructure; they craft compelling stories about why global companies should be part of their future.

don southerton Korea Strategic Services Don Southerton

CES 2025: Yes, it Was All About AI

January 15, 2025 Global Business Comments Off on CES 2025: Yes, it Was All About AI
CES 2025: Yes, it Was All About AI

Image by Aidin Geranrekab

AI dominated CES 2025 as a marketing tool, though its intangible nature poses challenges compared to past trends like robotics, drones, and home entertainment, writes Don Southerton.

This week in Branding in Asia

By Don Southerton

I’m back in Colorado after spending a week at CES in Las Vegas. I’ve collected my thoughts on this year’s CES show and would like to share them with you.

CES is the most influential technology event in the world, serving as a proving ground for groundbreaking technologies and global innovators. Thousands of exhibitors, media representatives, and industry professionals attend this trade show in Las Vegas every year.

In short, much of the buzz surrounding CES 2025 focused on AI. I was chatting with a long-time colleague from the automotive industry who visited our Incheon-IFEZ booth, where I spent most of my time. I pointed out that we were specifically located in the AI section. After a day of exploring the CES pavilions, he commented, “Don, the whole show is AI.”

I did come to the show with some insights.

Of the 41 businesses from South Korea hosted by the City of Incheon and the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), I supported their market entry plans, reviewed their websites, and improved the Korean translations into English. Most of them included AI in their branding or used “AI-enabled” in their product descriptions.

Of the 41 South Korean businesses hosted by Incheon and IFEZ, most featured AI in their branding or product descriptions.

For instance, tech media outlet The Vertical highlighted one of our top brand choices, Sheco. This all-in-one recovery robot is designed to address various water pollutants, including small-scale oil spills, algae, and container dust. Sheco also provides software and support equipment options such as autonomous driving, water monitoring, AI-powered cameras, and a control dashboard.

This reference to AI was the trend throughout the show and was this year’s attention grabber as a marketing tool. However, I feel it often presents a challenge to showcase AI since it is invisible. I have observed this less with products in the past when robotics and drones captured attendees’ interest because they were more tangible and visual, and more so over the years when home entertainment and the latest widescreens dominated.

It’s no surprise that Tech Buzz reports a significant portion of 2024’s largest investment deals went to AI-focused companies, with nearly a third of all global venture funding directed toward AI-related sectors.

Upon closer examination, AI emphasizes the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. As demonstrated at CES, it spans applications in every consumer tech category and across the 4,000+ exhibiting companies worldwide.

I expect that at next year’s CES, we will see more advancements in AI as the technology evolves and continues to capture attendees’ interest.

Don Southerton provides strategy, consulting, and training to Korea-based global businesses.

Source: https://www.brandinginasia.com/ces-2025-yes-it-was-all-about-ai/

CES® 2025- It’s All About AI

January 13, 2025 Global Business Comments Off on CES® 2025- It’s All About AI

CES® 2025- It’s All About AI


By Don Southerton

I’m back in Colorado after spending a week at CES® in Las Vegas. I’ve collected my thoughts on this year’s CES® show.

CES® is the most influential technology event in the world, serving as a proving ground for groundbreaking technologies and global innovators. Every year, thousands of exhibitors, media representatives, and industry professionals attend this trade show in Las Vegas.

In short, much of the buzz surrounding CES® 2025 focused on AI. I was chatting with a long-time colleague from the automotive industry who visited our Incheon-IFEZ booth, where I spent most of my time. I pointed out that we were specifically located in the AI section. After a day of exploring the CES® pavilions, he commented, “Don, the whole show is AI.”

I did come to the show with some insights.

Of the 41 businesses from South Korea hosted by the City of Incheon and the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), I supported their market entry plans, reviewed their websites, and improved the Korean translations into English. I found most of them included AI in their branding or used “AI-enabled” in their product descriptions.

For instance, tech media outlet The Vertical highlighted one of our top brand choices, Sheco. This all-in-one recovery robot is designed to address various water pollutants, including small-scale oil spills, algae, and container dust. Sheco also provides software and support equipment options such as autonomous driving, water monitoring, AI-powered cameras, and a control dashboard.

This reference to AI was the trend throughout the show and was this year’s attention grabber as a marketing tool. However, I feel it often presents a challenge to showcase AI since it is invisible. I have observed this less with products in the past, when robotics and drones captured attendees’ interest because they were more tangible and visual, and more so over the years when home entertainment and the latest widescreens dominated.

It’s no surprise that Tech Buzz reports a significant portion of 2024’s largest investment deals went to AI-focused companies, with nearly a third of all global venture funding directed toward AI-related sectors.

Upon closer examination, AI emphasizes the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. As demonstrated at CES®, it spans applications in every consumer tech category and across the 4,000+ exhibiting companies worldwide.

I expect that at next year’s CES®, we will see more advancements in AI as the technology evolves and continues to capture attendees’ interest.