Expo 2025 Osaka | The UK’s Participation

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What is a World Expo?

A World Expo is a global event that showcases the achievements of world nations whilst educating the public, sharing innovation and encouraging collaboration.

Taking place every five years and lasting for six months, World Expos play host to extraordinary exhibitions, diplomatic assemblies, business meetings, public debates and live shows, all at the same time in the same place. The UK has a rich legacy of delivering at World Expos, hosting the first ever World Exhibition in Hyde Park, London in 1851.

What is Expo 2025 Osaka?

Expo 2025 Osaka overarching theme: Designing future society for our lives.

Derived from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Expo 2025 Osaka challenges individuals to think how they want to live and how they can maximise their potential. The theme calls on each and every individual to think about his or her own aspirational life, empower them to realise their full potential, and push forward the worldwide effort to creating a shared vision of a sustainable society.

The Organisers are anticipating 28.2 million attendees (3.5 million forecast to be international visitors) with at least 150 nations expected to participate.

Context: The Japanese national project “Society 5.0”, or the super smart society equipped with cutting-edge technologies, is designed to solve various global issues in areas such as health, agriculture, and environment by utilising technological breakthroughs.

There are 3 sub-themes (which are the 3 districts of the Expo site):

• Saving Lives: Tackling infection and extending healthy lifespans – human, wildlife and planet (the UK sits within this sub-theme)
• Empowering Lives: Designing education and employment in the era of AI and robotics.
• Connecting Lives: Fostering cross-cultural understanding and catalysing innovation

The UK’s participation

The UK is focusing on how we collaborate with the world to save lives – human, wildlife and planet. We will share the stories of the people and places that make our country unique – from bold breakthroughs and twists on tradition, to the fresh perspectives that challenge convention and stimulate progress.

Our presence will consist of a self-build country Pavilion and a global programme of activity you can experience in person or online. Through the UK’s presence at Expo 2025 Osaka, we will promote UK culture, tourism, innovation and UK business.

Japan has announced that Expo 2023 Osaka will be a stock-take against the UN SDGs and in support of this the UK will focus on the following:

• SDG 13 Climate action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• SDG 14 Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
• SDG 15 Life on land: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
• SDG 17 Global Partnerships: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

The UK’s strategic objectives are:

1. Strengthen the bilateral relationship with Japan
2. Positively influence perceptions of the UK in Japan by:
   1. Delivering an impactful and engaging visitor experience
   2. Provide a distinct ‘British’ experience (demonstrating both UK heritage and modernity)
   3. Promoting the UK as a leader in sustainability and innovation

Key messages

• The UK is welcoming in the world to have a conversation with us. We want to tell our story and we want to hear yours.
• We want to show the connection between the UK and Japan, our shared heritage and shared ambitions for the future.
• The UK Pavilion, and the UK as a whole, are a powerful and inspiring example of great British innovation and sustainability e.g. the COVID-19 vaccine, paper that can be used to grow plants, satellite technology monitoring the migration of whales.
• Expo 2025 Osaka is a key opportunity to highlight the UK’s strengths and innovation in science, technological integration and creativity.

UK Strategic Intent 

The UK’s participation will explore and show visitors how the UK tackles some our biggest challenges in partnership with the rest of the world (SDG 17) – we will explore how we can collaborate to save lives – human, wildlife and planet.

Human

• Early adopters with globally recognised pioneers and innovators
• The UK plays a leading role in contributing to the SDGs, identifying innovative ways to respect and protect our planet; provide safe and better working standards for all; help provide access to education virtually; and leverage inter-generational dialogues 

Wildlife and Planet

• Biodiversity is key to the survival of the life on Earth.
• The UK aims to halt overall biodiversity loss, support healthy well-functioning ecosystems and establish coherent ecological networks with more and better places for nature for the benefit of wildlife and people.

Climate Action

• UK Net Zero Strategy sets the plan for how the UK’s businesses and public will be supported in making the transition to clean energy and green tech, leading to new innovations in the next generation of energy consumption to strengthen our energy security.
• Together with the rest of the world we will welcome new opportunities for clean growth, green jobs and public health benefits from improving air quality to a more prosperous, thriving planet of wildlife and people.

The UK has an excellent story to tell as a science superpower with world-beating health and technology industries:

• Centre of empowering scientists, inventors, and society to adopt to new ways of thinking and embracing new ideas that have, and will, change our world.
• Researchers in the UK are working collaboratively with those around the world to help find solutions to the climate crisis to secure a safer future for all.
• AI, Robotics, Biotech, Fintech and Spacetech can ensure the longevity of the planet and to live together as one global society, with shared responsibilities for our collective future.

This is supported by a number of HM Government strategies. We want to:

• Position the UK as a leader in science and technology globally.
• Show that AI, Robotics, Biotech, Fin-Tech and Space-Tech can ensure the longevity of the planet.
• Support transition to clean energy and green tech -new innovations to strengthen our energy security.
• Restore nature, reverse biodiversity and the role of nature in supporting human health and wellbeing.
• UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: ‘Take stock’ of global progress and to accelerate initiatives towards reaching them.

For support on the ground in Osaka: Osaka One-Stop Business Service Desk | Japan External Trade Organization – JETRO