Approval of the overall budget, appointment of a Deputy General Curator and signature of a collaboration agreement with EHTL
Expo 2025 Osaka will take place from April 13 to October 13, 2025 on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. Under the theme “Designing Future Society For Our Lives”, the event is set to welcome 175 official participants, including 150 countries and 25 international organizations.
The Luxembourg Pavilion, designed by the Luxembourg architecture firm STDM, is under the theme “Doki Doki – The Luxembourg Heartbeat”, the Japanese expression for enthusiastic, joyful heartbeat, which will be the common thread running through the visitor’s experience of the Luxembourg Pavilion.
The pavilion will be designed according to the principles of circularity.
On May 19, 2021, the Government Council approved the project for Luxembourg’s participation in the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, and set the foreseeable budget for this project at a level in line with the overall costs of the previous exhibitions in Shanghai and Dubai.
On September 29, 2023, the Government Council agreed to allocate a total budget of EUR 30 million to the “Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka” economic interest grouping (EIG), which is responsible for the planning, construction, operation and deconstruction of the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, marking Luxembourg’s 25th participation in a world’s fair.
In addition, the Government Council has appointed Daniel Sahr as Deputy Commissioner General for the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. Daniel Sahr has been working for over ten years in the International Affairs Department of the Chamber of Commerce, and has acquired the necessary experience as Pavilion Director at Expo Dubai 2021, and previously as Acting Secretary General of the GIE at Expo Shanghai 2010.
In October, the GIE “Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka”, the Ministry of National Education, Children and Youth and the Luxembourg Hotel and Tourism School (EHTL) signed a collaboration agreement formalizing the GIE’s cooperation with the EHTL on the catering side of the Luxembourg Pavilion.
A first collaboration of this type was initiated for Expo Dubai 2020, and proved to be fruitful.
The EHTL, which has the necessary know-how and some of the skilled manpower required, will be in charge of developing a culinary concept, as well as an operating concept for the pavilion’s catering.
This collaboration will offer EHTL students a unique opportunity to gain valuable international work experience within the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, and will ensure the Luxembourg imprint of the pavilion’s culinary offering.
Press release from the Ministry of the Economy
