CES 2026: CADDi's Perspectives

The global technology industry gathered in Las Vegas for CES 2026 last week. CADDi participated alongside more than 4,100 exhibitors and 148,000 attendees, engaging in conversations focused on where technology is heading and what that means for real manufacturing environments.

From our vantage point as a technology manufacturer working closely with engineering-led organizations, CES reinforced a clear shift in priorities.

Technology trends: What is ahead and how will it impact American manufacturing?

Across CES, AI and data platforms were no longer discussed as experimental tools. They are increasingly viewed as operational infrastructure.

Manufacturing leaders are prioritizing technology that structures engineering knowledge, preserves design history, and supports faster, more confident decisions across teams. Solutions that sit outside daily workflows or require workarounds are not viewed as sustainable or future-ready.

For U.S. manufacturers, investment is moving toward usable intelligence that strengthens operational judgment and protects institutional knowledge as organizations scale and workforces evolve.

From robotics to autonomous systems, CADDi leaders had the opportunity to see what lies ahead. Chris Cope, VP Engineering, CADDi, shared his observations:

 "CES 2026 was about AI growing a body. A 6-axis barista made me a drink. I saw robots cleaning using vision and reasoning about their next action. Manufacturing trade shows have demo-ed welding robots that climb walls for years, but this Embodied AI is becoming inexpensive and everywhere. 

For American manufacturers in High-Mix sectors like Aerospace and Automotive, this is the unlock we’ve been waiting for. There are other places in the world that compete on low-mix high-volume with the lowest labor costs, but countries like the US and Japan have been the most agile. Full physical automation no longer requires high volume for an ROI. The factory floor can become endlessly optimizable.

I feel stronger now than ever about our urgency around the total transformation of manufacturers. Design re-use, should-costing, supply chain agility and optimization: all of this requires manufacturing-native AI to truly unleash the potential."

Monodukurimiraikaigi: Discovering the future manufacturing industry

We are especially proud of the CADDi team for orchestrating a series of events designed to bring manufacturing leaders together beyond the conference floor.

During CES week, CADDi hosted Monodukurimiraikaigi, an invitation-only executive conference focused on the future of manufacturing. The event brought together more than 150 CEOs and senior decision makers from globally recognized manufacturing organizations.

Monodukurimiraikaigi, which translates to “an executive conference to discuss the future manufacturing industry”, convened 150 CEOs, VPs, and senior leaders from long-standing manufacturing companies across the U.S. and Japan.

The agenda emphasized depth over volume. It combined keynote perspectives, small roundtable discussions, and open dialogue among peers who understand the long timelines, technical risk, and complexity inherent in engineering-led businesses.

Post-event feedback reflected strong alignment. Attendees described CADDi as a partner they trust and as a company willing to tackle difficult manufacturing challenges over the long term.

Selected verbatim feedback from the anonymous survey included:

• “I was deeply impressed by the story of how CADDi created and nurtured solutions to unlock the potential of Japanese manufacturing."
• “A true partner, with whom we share the mindset to overcome challenges together.”

Nearly all participants rated the event close to 5 out of 5, reinforcing the value of creating space for focused, peer-level discussion.

We appreciate the leaders who traveled from across the U.S. and Japan and committed multiple hours, and in many cases multiple days, to participate.

CADDi staff and leadership takeaways

In post-show discussions, several themes stood out that matter directly to our customers and industry contacts.

First, peer credibility matters more than ever. Manufacturing leaders place high value on conversations with others who have lived through long development cycles, technical setbacks, and multi-year innovation efforts.

Second, relationship-building remains a strategic advantage. This event required months of preparation, personal outreach, and disciplined coordination across U.S. and Japan teams. Executives responded to clear storytelling and shared purpose, not transactional invitations.

Third, manufacturing progress is built on commitment and consistency. Watching teams from different regions work together reinforced the importance of preparation, patience, and respect for the customer’s time.

CES 2026 reinforced a simple truth for American manufacturing. Advantage comes from clarity, trusted systems, and relationships that endure. The conversations that began in Las Vegas will continue to shape how manufacturing leaders think about technology, partnership, and growth.

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About CADDi

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and Chicago, IL, CADDi is an AI-powered data platform that makes design and supply chain data accessible and actionable across the manufacturing ecosystem. Founded in 2017 by industry veterans Yushiro Kato and Aki Kobashi, formerly of McKinsey, Apple, and Lockheed Martin.

Its flagship product, CADDi Drawer, uses advanced AI to centralize and analyze decades of unstructured design and production data. The platform transforms disconnected drawings, specs, and supplier files into searchable intelligence, allowing manufacturers to locate information instantly, make data-driven decisions, and accelerate collaboration.

By connecting data silos, CADDi helps teams reduce redundancies, shorten lead times, and unlock the innovation potential hidden within their existing data. Recognized globally for innovation, CADDi was listed in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2024, and received the SaaS Award for Best Business Intelligence and Engineering Management Software. To learn more or to book a product demonstration, visit us.caddi.com.

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