The Future of Innovation at the Detroit Auto Show
Most people are not aware that this year’s Detroit Auto Show was the last time the event will take place in the frigid month of January. The show is moving to June in 2020, not just because it’s a nicer time of year in Michigan, but because the show has lost momentum from being held on the heels of CES — which has become the de facto auto tech show. Hopefully, this change in date will allow the show to grow and return to its former status, as well as encourage participants to explore all that Detroit has to offer.
The Showroom Floor
Most of the reception to this year’s show was low key, to put it nicely. The showroom floor itself used to be a creative sandbox, a place for companies to demonstrate their imagination of what personal mobility, through personally owned vehicles, could look like.
While I do give credit to Toyota and a few other automakers for showcasing some concept vehicles, the majority of these displays seemed to be repeats from the CES debuts. Additionally, the show organizers maintained the Automobili-D footprint in the basement of the venue, which further drained the energy out of the room, although the panel stage was readily visible near the lounge areas — a small bonus.
The most imaginative exhibition I saw wasn’t an auto display at all, but a competition. The excitement lost on the show floor was at the Middelcott Sketch Battle, where designers dreamed up their vision of the future of mobility, with 20 minutes to do so. During the tournament, the room felt especially energized, as viewers watched the artists hurry to sketch up their most innovative ideas. The time crunch definitely added to the excitement, but it was the creative potential that really brought the space to life.
The interactive nature of this battle is perhaps what felt missing at the auto show, which instead served as a space for a languid stroll. I’m hoping that NAIAS taking place in the beautiful summer, and far removed from CES, will infuse some much-needed vitality into the show.
The Panels
The highlight of the auto show for me was my time participating on panels. These opportunities for conversations are always informative and thought-provoking, as they give players in the self-driving industry a place to further discuss where we need to go, and what we need to do to get there.
Specifically, my panel with the team from the Detroit Mobility Lab allowed us to widen our discussion on talent from the focus on training programs to the fact that industry leaders need to make a conscious decision to invest here, in Michigan, and not just pay lip service.
Although the discussion was critical, it had a hopeful tone and concluded with the takeaway that we need to have software and hardware teams co-located to tackle the challenges of next-generation vehicle technology — and a lot of that talent is in Michigan already. Perhaps 2019 is the year more of the self-driving industry sees the truth of that, and perhaps that is what will lead us back to a more energized Detroit Auto Week.
Of all the events at this year’s show, being given the chance to sit on a panel at the annual Inforum breakfast was the most satisfying by far. A few years ago, as an early career engineer, I had the chance to attend this event. Back then, I was honored to be able to attend the breakfast, but felt that I should have been on stage with the other speakers. It was a lot of fun for me to look back on that moment and realize that I was right, I should have been on stage, as I had insights into the industry which could drive important conversations forward.
While listening to the speakers before me, I realized that not everyone is aware of how much technology is shaping the automotive industry — which made my opportunity to speak to an audience full of decision makers all the more impactful. I felt especially honored to be on the panel with Carla Bailo, Ken Washington and Jason Mars.
We focused on clearly laying out the state of artificial intelligence application across the industry, making sure the audience knew that they didn’t have to change careers to get involved in AI, since it’s at work across every business space. However, I worry that this type of opportunity to learn about industry changes might be too few and far between for the individuals in the room.
That same morning I talked with many old colleagues and other individuals in the industry who are facing the reality of layoffs. We spoke about how many of the conversations surrounding the future of our industry are critical to inform those hoping their careers can evolve and adapt with the changes we’ve seen in AI and AV.
When I think back to my experiences from this year, I look forward to June 2020, but recognize that the ethos of the event needs to evolve. I hope that it again becomes the celebration of what is possible in terms of personal mobility — from technology to visual design — and becomes an inspiration for people who want to enter this dynamic field.
