From 13 April to 13 October Osaka hosted (for the third time, after the 1970 and 1990 editions) the World Expo, this year dedicated to the theme ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’. The event saw the participation of over 160 countries and 28 international organisations and welcomed around 28 million visitors, confirming itself as one of the pivotal meeting points in economic and cultural terms. At the heart of the debate was the future of global society, marked by digital and ecological transition, the pervasive spread of applied artificial intelligence and the need for a new balance between development and sustainability. Expo Osaka was a test-bed for assessing how technology and creativity can contribute to the wellbeing of communities, a sort of laboratory of tomorrow where projects, ideas and technological excellence from all the countries of the world converged to explore the new frontiers of science, mobility, energy and health.
For Italy, after the success of Expo Milano 2015 and its participation in Dubai 2020, it was a great showcase to enhance its innovation chain. The Italian Pavilion, located in the ‘Empowering Lives’ area, covered an area of 3,600 square metres and was divided into physical and digital spaces with the objective (achieved) of telling the story of our country’s ability to combine art and science, tradition and experimentation, beauty and skills. The project, promoted by the Commissariat General for Italian Participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, Mario Vattani, wanted to build a bridge between business, research and culture, showcasing the key components of sustainable innovation within a regenerative ecosystem
Interactive installations and immersive spaces allowed visitors to explore the great symbols of Made in Italy – from design to advanced manufacturing, from agribusiness to digital culture – and to come into contact with the most cutting-edge solutions for quality of life. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) has recognised the value of this project by awarding the Italian Pavilion first prize in the ‘Theme Development’ category, the most prestigious of the World Expo awards. The Japanese press has also expressed its unanimous appreciation: Esquire Japan called it “the highest example of culture at Expo 2025”, while Nikkei Trendy indicated it as “the most desired by visitors”. Acknowledgements and recognitions that are pendant with a record result in terms of accesses: more than one million downloads of the app and two million visits to the web portal, both channels developed by Almaviva that have allowed the brand Italy to amplify its presence in the digital world and in the Virtual Expo metaverse.
Almaviva, Italian innovation that creates value
An important contribution to the goal reached by Italy has been ensured by Almaviva, technological partner of the project, which provided the digital platforms to power the Pavilion’s digital communication strategy, extending the physical visitor experience and enabling millions of users to explore interactive content, visit virtual spaces and worlds in 3D, and participate in online events in real time. Almaviva provided its Giotto platform, a proprietary system integrating artificial intelligence, virtual reality and data analytics to manage multimedia content and immersive experiences. The result was a fluid and inclusive environment, capable of translating technological innovation into an accessible and participatory storytelling.
The Commissioner General Mario Vattani expressed his appreciation for the company’s contribution, defining Almaviva as a valuable partner of the Italian Pavilion in the creation of the logo, a symbol that encompasses culture, welcoming spirit and orientation. For the company, a leader in the field of Information & communications technology services and solutions with over 46,000 employees and a presence in 60 countries, participation in Expo Osaka 2025 was much more than a technical collaboration. It is the concrete testimony of a vision of innovation not limited to a set of technologies but open to an idea of innovation that becomes a cultural tool, an engine for growth and culture, and a universal language capable of enhancing the Italian identity in the world. In the success of the Italian Pavilion is reflected the strength of a collaboration that has been able to merge vision and competence, tradition and future and that, from as far away as Japan, relaunches in the world the ability of the ‘Italian system’ to transform ingenuity into emotion and innovation into shared value.
AloJapan.com