"One year to go": With 365 days until the opening of Expo 2025 Osaka, preparations around the Luxembourg Pavilion are in full swing

The preparations for the Luxembourg Pavilion, designed by the Luxembourg architectural firm STDM, are in full swing. Following the groundbreaking ceremony held on 25 January 2024, at the site of the Luxembourg Pavilion in Osaka in the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, construction work on the Pavilion, carried out by the Japanese company Naito House, began in February and is progressing as planned. The interior design of the Pavilion and the development of the scenographic content are also being gradually developed, in close collaboration with the scenographers jangled nerves.

Letter of intent signed with the city of Katano

The Luxembourg Pavilion stands out for its "circular by design" approach, incorporating principles of the circular economy right from its conception. This design strategy enables the partial reuse of components, enhancing sustainability and resource efficiency.

In this context, the General Commissioner for the Luxembourg Pavilion, André Hansen, on behalf of the GIE Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka [1], signed a letter of intent with Katano City on 26 March 2024. Katano City is a city with over 76,000 inhabitants, located in the Osaka Prefecture. This letter formalizes Katano City's intention to reclaim part of the construction materials from the Luxembourg Pavilion after the Expo.

"The start of negotiations with the city of Katano marks a significant first step in the concrete realization of our Pavilion's circular concept. Aligned with the Expo's sustainability goals, this partnership reflects the shared visions that unite Luxembourg and Japan with regard to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," highlights Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel.

Celebration of "Luxembourg Day" during the Expo

The "Luxembourg Day" at Expo 2025 Osaka will be the ideal opportunity to highlight the deep bonds of the friendship between Luxembourg and Japan. Following the tradition of previous World Expos, a specific day will be dedicated to celebrating the National Day of each participating country at the Expo. Recently, Luxembourg has received a confirmation from the Japanese organizers that the "Luxembourg Day" will be celebrated on 30 May 2025 at the Expo site. The program for the festivities will be developed in the upcoming months, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality cultural experience.

Cargolux joins as a partner

This month, the GIE Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka, the economic interest group responsible for managing Luxembourg's participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, and Cargolux have signed a partnership agreement. With regards to its activities in Japan, Cargolux commenced operations in 1985 in Fukuoka, located on the northern coast of the island of Kyushu. Since then, it has maintained and expanded its operations in Japan, including Komatsu Airport (Ishikawa Prefecture) and Narita International Airport (Tokyo). "Cargolux is pleased to be one of the main sponsors of the Luxembourg Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo. The Luxembourg Pavilion represents a great opportunity for Luxembourg to showcase the country and its contribution to the Expo theme "Designing Future Society for Our Lives” during the exhibition. Cargolux has a long-standing connection with Japan spanning nearly forty years and we look forward to continuing this relationship in the future.”, says Richard Forson, President and CEO of Cargolux. With the launch of this first partnership, the GIE invites any other interested company to get in touch.

Calls for Applications: Staff, Volunteers, and Furniture

Timely with the initiation of the countdown one year before Expo 2025 Osaka commences, two calls for applications for the Luxembourg Pavilion have now been published. The first is aimed at individuals interested in working as staff members or volunteers within the Luxembourg Pavilion. The second is a call for tenders for the acquisition of furniture, with the objective of promoting Luxembourgish design professions and showcasing innovative concepts of both circular and resource economy. This call for tenders is open to designers and artisans who can present prototypes of their creation.

Further details and information regarding these calls for applications are available on www.expopavilion.lu.

About the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

The structure of the Luxembourg Pavilion is a modular steel construction topped with a tensile membrane roof, all designed according to the principles of the circular economy. The chosen theme for the pavilion is: "Doki Doki - The Luxembourg Heartbeat." "Doki Doki", the Japanese expression that signifies enthusiastic and joyful heartbeats, will be the guiding principle of the visitor's experience in the Luxembourg Pavilion. At the Osaka World Expo, the Luxembourg Pavilion is placed under the sub-theme "Connecting lives," and this is what it aims to achieve: connecting Expo visitors with Luxembourgers and connecting Japan with the Grand Duchy.

Press release by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade

[1] The GIE Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka is an economic interest group created by the Luxembourg State and the Chamber of Commerce to plan, build, operate and dismantle the Luxembourg Pavilion at World Expo 2025 Osaka.