Next year the world exhibition will take place in Osaka, Japan. Austria also wants to show its best side. The ‘crown’ shows what visitors to the Expo can expect in the red-white-red pavilion.
If you ask ten Japanese people about their associations with Austria, nine of them will think of classical music and culture. The red-white-red team wants to pick up interested parties at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, which starts on April 13. “But we want to present ourselves diversely. Austria is more than just Mozart,” says Alf Netek, head of the Expo office. The organizer previously worked in Kapsch’s management for more than twenty years.
16 meter high music band made of wood
Austria wants to attract attention with an enormous wooden bow that is supposed to represent a musical ribbon. “A masterpiece of Austrian timber architecture,” says Netek. It was built in Austria by the Graf Holztechnik company from Horn in the Waldviertel. The core data: 16 meters high and consisting of 14.5 tons of wood. The structure is designed to withstand storms of up to 200 kilometers per hour and comes to Japan by sea. There is already a concept for subsequent use and attention has been paid to recyclability.
“The music band stands for dynamics, elegance and innovation,” says Netek. Along the way through the exhibition, it then becomes a digital tape that symbolically leads from the past to the future.
Bösendorfer is owned by the Japanese Yamaha
In the pavilion, visitors are welcomed by a Bösendorfer piano. The traditional company is now owned by the Japanese Yamaha. According to legend, Tenno Mutsuhito, the great-grandfather of the current Emperor Akihito, was given a Bösendorfer grand piano by the Imperial and Royal Monarchy and thus came into contact with Western classical music for the first time. A naval officer played an Austrian piece for the Japanese ruler, it is said.
Once the interest of Japanese music lovers has been aroused, Austria also wants to draw attention to its innovations. 150 companies followed a “Call for Innovation”. 20 to 30 were selected by a jury, including AVL List, Skidata and the start-up Biome Diagnostics with projects.
Many very well-established local companies are on board: in addition to the piano maker Bösendorfer, the printed circuit board manufacturer AT&S, the glass manufacturer Riedl and Julius Meinl.
1.8 billion euros export volume to Japan
Japan is Austria’s fourth most important overseas export market with a volume of 1.8 billion euros. “Companies will also use the Expo to present themselves and make contacts,” says Netek. At previous world fairs, small and medium-sized companies in particular could use this as a springboard.
28 million guests are expected, 150 countries are represented. Austria has a budget of 20 million euros, three quarters of which is borne by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and a quarter by the Chamber of Commerce.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
