While AI and robots took centre stage at CES®, the world’s biggest tech show held last week, international standards were an increasingly hot topic, seen as needed now more than ever to support innovation and enable emerging technologies to thrive.

IEC Vice President Vimal Mahendru, who participated in panel discussions at the event, said there was a strong, unified call for international standards as catalysts for scale and access.

“Industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers consistently emphasized that innovation reaches global markets efficiently only when supported by harmonized standards and credible conformity assessment. In sessions on smart cities, immersive technologies, and cross sector digital ecosystems, standards were recognized not as barriers, but as enablers of competition, investment, interoperability, and inclusion.”

IEC contributed to a number of roundtable discussions and panels organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), producer of CES®, that looked at the role of standardization in supporting technology. Topics covered how standards can drive the future of quantum, support smart communities and their fundamental role in enabling augmented, virtual and mixed reality (AR/VR/MR).

 The discussions highlighted how when it comes to quantum technologies, for example, standards are essential to breaking silos, enabling quantum to scale responsibly, engendering trust and preparing industries and global supply chains.

Veronica Lancaster, Vice President Standards Program at CTA, said the event was an important platform for global collaboration between standardizers and industry. She is also the President of the U.S. National Committee of the IEC and an IEC Board member.

“In 2025, CES attracted over 57,000 international attendees. Given that high level of international attendance, I saw a natural linkage to the IEC. This sparked an idea to bring IEC leaders to CES to see its power firsthand and to see how far-reaching the IEC's work is In 2026, AI was everywhere, embedded into devices, appliances, robots, as well as into smart city planning. Robotics also took center stage with many exhibitors, whether humanoid, autonomous vehicles for transport or mowing your lawn, or companion robots for children or the aging. This reinforces the global need for internationally agreed standards that address trust, safety, transparency, interoperability, and responsible deployment, areas where IEC and ISO/IEC collaboration will play an increasingly central role.”

Jim Matthews, IEC President said the event demonstrated how standards can serve as a bridge between great ideas and real products and services. 

"Engaging with many emerging tech leaders, we were able to raise the awareness and vital role of standardization and conformity assessment in all of these technology areas.”