Cargolux to Partner with Luxembourg Pavilion Ahead of Expo 2025 Osaka

Saturday 13 April 2024 marks the start of the last year before the official opening of the World Expo which will be held from 13 April to 13 October 2025 in Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay; Luxembourg will also participate in the Expo 2025 Osaka.

The Expo will observe the theme “Designing the society of the future, imagining our life of tomorrow” and plans to welcome 28 million visitors, including 3.5 million from abroad. At this stage, 160 countries and regions and nine international organisations have confirmed their participation.

Preparations for the Luxembourg Pavilion, designed by the Luxembourg architectural firm STDM, are in full swing, according to Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Foreign Trade. Following the groundbreaking ceremony, which took place on 25 January 2024, on the site of the Luxembourg Pavilion in Osaka in the presence of Luxembourg’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, the construction works of the Pavilion, carried out by the Japanese company Naito House, began last February and are progressing as planned. The interior design of the Pavilion and the development of the scenographic content are also being developed gradually, in close collaboration with the scenographers of “jangled nerves”, an interdisciplinary team specialising in live communication that combines the physical and the digital world.

One of the particularities of the Luxembourg Pavilion is that it is “circular by design”, meaning that the principles of the circular economy are applied from the design of the building. This circular design will allow partial reuse of components.

In this context, the general commissioner of the Luxembourg Pavilion, André Hansen, signed on 26 March 2024, on behalf of the GIE Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka a letter of intent with Katano City, a city of more than 76,000 inhabitants, located in the Osaka prefecture. This letter formalises the desire of the city of Katano to take back part of the construction materials for the Luxembourg Pavilion at the end of the Expo.

“The start of negotiations with the city of Katano constitutes an important first step in the concrete realisation of the circular concept of our Pavilion. In line with the Expo's sustainability objectives, this partnership demonstrates the common visions linking Luxembourg and Japan regarding the United Nations' sustainable development objectives,” highlighted Minister Bettel.

“Luxembourg Day” at Expo 2025 Osaka aims to highlight the “deep bonds of friendship” that bind Luxembourg and Japan, the ministry noted. Indeed, like previous editions of Universal Expos, a specific day will be dedicated to celebrating the national day of each country participating in the Expo. Recently, Luxembourg obtained confirmation from Japanese organisers that “Luxembourg Day” will be celebrated on 30 May 2025 on the Expo site. The programme of festivities will be developed in the coming months and will provide high-quality cultural support.

Cargolux, now a partner

The GIE Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka, the economic interest group in charge of managing Luxembourg's participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, and Cargolux concluded a partnership contract this month. Regarding its operations in Japan, Cargolux began operations in 1985 in Fukuoka, located on the northern coast of the island of Kyushu. Since then, it has maintained and expanded operations in Japan, including Komatsu Airport (Ishikawa Prefecture) and Narita International Airport (Tokyo).

“Cargolux is delighted to be one of the main sponsors of the Luxembourg Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo. The Pavilion constitutes an excellent opportunity for Luxembourg to present the country, as well as its contribution to the theme of the Exhibition 'Designing the society of the future, imagining our life of tomorrow'. Cargolux has a long-standing relationship with Japan, spanning almost forty years, and we look forward to continuing it into the future,” said Richard Forson, Chairman and CEO of Cargolux. With the launch of this first partnership, the GIE noted it invites any other company interested in a collaboration to contact it.

Calls for applications: staff, volunteers and furniture

As part of the start of the last year before the official opening of Expo 2025, two calls for applications have been launched for the Luxembourg Pavilion. The first is aimed at people interested in working as staff members or as volunteers within the Luxembourg Pavilion. The second is a call for the acquisition of furniture to promote Luxembourg's design professions and highlight innovative concepts of circularity and resource-saving. The latter is aimed at designers and artisans who can present models of their creations.

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