Luxembourg Approves €30m Budget for Expo 2025 Osaka, EHTL Collaboration Renewed

Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy has announced several updates in relation to the Grand Duchy's participation in the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.

Expo 2025 Osaka will take place from 13 April to 13 October 2025 on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. Placed under the theme "Designing Future Society for Our Lives", this event is expected to attract 175 official participants, including 150 countries and 25 international organisations. The theme of the Luxembourg Pavilion, designed by the Luxembourg architectural firm Steinmetzdemeyer, is "Doki Doki - The Luxembourg Heartbeat", which refers to the Japanese term "doki doki" for the sound of a beating heart filled with enthusiasm and joy and represents the common thread of the visitor experience at the Luxembourg Pavilion (to be designed according to the principles of circularity).

On 19 May 2021, the Government Council (Cabinet) approved Luxembourg's participation project for Expo 2025 Osaka and retained a predictable budgetary charge for this project within the range of the overall costs of the previous exhibitions in Shanghai and Dubai. On 29 September 2023, the Cabinet agreed to allocate a global budget of €30 million to the economic interest group (GIE) Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka which is in charge of the planning, construction, operation and deconstruction of the Luxembourg Pavilion in preparation for the Grand Duchy's 25th participation in a universal exhibition.

In addition, the Cabinet appointed Daniel Sahr as Deputy Commissioner General of the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. Daniel Sahr is currently Senior Coordinator at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, where he has been working in the International Affairs Department for more than ten years. He served as Director of the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and previously as Acting Secretary General of the GIE at Expo 2010 Shanghai.

In October 2023, the GIE Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka, the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and the Hotel and Tourism School in Diekirch (École d'Hôtellerie et de Tourisme du Luxembourg - EHTL) signed an agreement formalising the collaboration of the GIE with the EHTL on the restoration aspect of the Luxembourg Pavilion. A first collaboration of this type was initiated as part of Expo 2020 Dubai and it proved to be "fruitful", noted the Economy Ministry.

The EHTL, which has the necessary know-how and part of the required qualified workforce, will be in charge of developing a culinary concept, as well as an operating concept for the restoration of the pavilion. According to the ministry, this collaboration will offer EHTL students a unique opportunity to gain international professional experience within the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka and ensure a Luxembourg imprint on the pavilion's culinary offering.