A tech firm developing cutting-edge sensors for a range of medical and industrial applications has decried the lack of Scottish presence at the world’s largest consumer electronics show.
Novosound – which produces specialist wireless, ultrasound sensors – criticised the lack of ‘strategic thought’ in how Scotland showcases its expertise in internet of things (IoT) technologies.
The company had a presence at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month – where it got its products in front of a massive global buying audience.
Dave Hughes, CEO and co-founder of Novosound, said: “At CES, we demonstrated that we’re at the very forefront of wearable ultrasound technology, to the extent that we now have a globally leading position, and that is going to help drive more commercial wins in 2024.”
“While it was good to see a few Scottish companies at CES this year, it was surprising not to see more, and the lack of a dedicated Scotland presence, when you consider the importance of CES and the number of countries that were exhibiting in Las Vegas.”
He added: “To export internationally from Scotland, we need to get out and be there, and there is nowhere on Earth where you are going to meet the big tech giants and prospective customers and partners in the way that you can at CES. I think, if we really want to power up our hardware and IoT sectors, more strategic thought needs to go into how we put our best foot forward next year.”
Edinburgh-headquartered Novosound is forecasting a doubling of its revenue for a fourth year in a row, underpinned by strong growth in North American markets.
The company, which was the University of the West of Scotland’s first ever spinout in 2018, has raised over £10 million since, appointed former Intel executive David Jolliffe as CFO last year, while also announcing commercial contracts with Nasdaq-listed PAVmed Inc., and partnerships at the Texas Medical Centre, strengthening its position in fast-growing digital health markets.
Hughes said: “Given that digital health is our primary target sector, it was notable that health, fitness, and health monitoring, has become one of the main focuses at CES, alongside areas like smart cars, smart homes, climate tech and, of course, all manner of AI-powered products. In fact, the third day of CES 2024 was headlined with the theme, “The future of healthcare is digital, equitable, and accessible.”
Hughes added that there is “sometimes a bit of confusion” and a “misconception” about CES as a solely consumer product show, and that many of the opportunities are business to business, with many tech giants scouring exhibitor halls for new products and services.
