Austria at Expo Osaka 2025: Insights from Project Manager Alf Netek

As the world prepares for the monumental Expo 2025 in Osaka, Austria is making waves with its plans to showcase the best of its culture, innovation and technology. Set to open its doors in April 2025, the Expo promises to be a dynamic platform for countries across the globe to share their ideas and contributions for a sustainable future. Austria’s pavilion at Expo Osaka will not only represent the country’s rich heritage and modern advancements, but will also highlight its leadership in technology, design and environmental sustainability.

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GoConnect interviewed Alf Netek, Austria@Expo 2025 Osaka Project Manager, to learn more about the upcoming event.

What is the overarching message Austria aims to communicate through its presence at The Osaka Expo 2025? How does this align with the Expo’s theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”?

“The motto of the Austria pavilion is ‘Austria. Composing the Future.’ Our exhibition concept interprets the motto ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’ with the intention of taking the future into our own hands, to be active and bold. The pavilion’s vision is to create prosperity for people and the planet. In other words, to shape a future that encourages people and their ideas, and brings them into harmony with our environment. To communicate the diversity and potential of Austrian society, we use the unifying power of music, and lead our visitors from tradition to innovation. The wood loop in front of our pavilion on the way through the exhibition transforms into a multimedia digital presence.

“The Austria Pavilion will serve as a hub of ideas, featuring cutting-edge exhibits that reflect Austria’s role as a pioneer in green technologies, sustainable architecture and digital innovation. One of the standout features will be Austria’s focus on solutions for urban living, sustainable mobility and eco-friendly technologies, offering visitors an immersive experience into the future of living and working in a green and connected world.”

What type of experiences or interactions can visitors expect at the Austrian pavilion? Are there any standout technologies or exhibits you’re particularly excited about?

“The highlight of the exhibition is the ‘Room of the Future.’ Here, visitors can explore their vision of the world of tomorrow. Thanks to interactive elements, they can control and shape the content of the exhibition. Visitors select the SDGs that are important to them and thus influence the images and sounds supported by artificial intelligence. Under the motto ‘Composing the Future,’ a unique composition of the future is created.

“Austria is associated with music in many countries around the world. This is particularly the case in Japan. Right at the beginning of the exhibition, you can see an extraordinary grand piano equipped with remote-controlled playing technology. This room is also home to a design highlight of the Austria Pavilion: a crystal chandelier is on display, which was exhibited in this design at the 1873 World Exhibition in Vienna, and is still in production.

“There is much more to discover in the Austrian pavilion than just the exhibition. Austrian contemporary design, remarkable culinary delights and a replica of the famous Osaka paravent, which evokes the city’s golden age, will also be on site.”

Sustainability is a significant global priority. How is Austria incorporating sustainable practices or technologies into the design and operation of its pavilion?

“We attach great importance to sustainability right from the early planning phase. The overall concept of the Austria Pavilion follows the ‘reuse’ principle. Our aim is to maximize the circular economy of building structures. The significant wooden spiral sculpture in front of the pavilion is made from PEFC-certified Austrian wood. To meet our expectations of sustainability, a lamella construction was developed that can be disassembled into individual parts. This means that the wooden sculpture can be dismantled and reassembled in other places. And at the end of its use, it can be separated into its individual parts for recycling.

“As far as the pavilion building is concerned, it is built as a steel structure from standard hall parts constructed in Japan. The steel construction can also be dismantled into individual components and the parts can be reused. We are convinced that, especially in the case of temporary buildings, the reuse of structures is crucial, and is considered applied sustainability.”

What collaborations or partnerships have you established with Japanese entities for the Expo? How do you envision this collaboration influencing Austria-Japan relations?

“There are so many remarkable connections between Austria and Japan. In all segments of our society. From business, science, art and culture, to a wide range of corporate partnerships. That is why we have dedicated the first room of our exhibition to these diverse relationships and present some special touchpoints between our countries in a fascinating multimedia presentation. We also demonstrate our partnership in our cultural programme and present Japanese-Austrian collaborations—for example, a joint choir project between the city of Nasushiobara and the city of Linz.”

What have been some of the biggest challenges in planning and executing Austria’s participation in the Osaka Expo? How is your team addressing them?

“Planning and constructing a self-built pavilion for a world exhibition is always a challenge. Such temporary structures are not necessarily comparable to ordinary construction projects. You have to adapt to each host country, its legal requirements and, of course, its business practices and culture—both on a commercial and social level. Despite the challenges in the construction sector, we are very satisfied with the construction progress of the pavilion. Based on our experience to date, the information and discussions with architects, authorities and companies, we are convinced that we will be able to complete the pavilion on time and in full function.”

Beyond the Expo, what long-term impact do you hope Austria’s presence will have on its global image and on its relationships with Japan and other participating nations?

“Austria’s participation in the Expo has an important significance for our country in terms of our global image and worldwide relations. Our aim is not only to showcase the well-known culture and beauty of our country, but also to present Austria’s strengths as an innovative and future-oriented country, a technology and innovation driver with outstanding creators and thinkers, both past and present.

“We intend to strengthen Austria’s position and intensify bilateral relations in various areas from business, education, research and science to art and culture—and to do so in the long term, well beyond the duration of the Expo. The aim is to promote dialogue and exchange on opportunities and trends in order to contribute to the vision of the future.

How to Experience Austria’s Pavilion

The Expo will run from April 2025 through October 2025 at the Expo site in Osaka. Austria’s pavilion will be a central attraction during the six-month event, welcoming visitors from all across the world. To plan your visit to the Austria Pavilion, you can stay updated on the official Expo 2025 website and the Expo Austria page for details on pavilion features, events and how to register for special exhibitions or performances.

For more information on Austria’s participation and to explore upcoming events, you can visit the official Expo Austria website at expoaustria.at and the official Expo 2025 participant page for Austria at expo2025.or.jp​.

Austria’s involvement in Expo Osaka 2025 is an exciting opportunity to showcase the country’s pioneering spirit, combining sustainable innovation with a celebration of its cultural heritage. Through its pavilion, Austria will not only offer a glimpse of the future of sustainable living, but also reinforce its role as a leader in creating a better, greener future for all. Whether you’re interested in sustainable technologies, innovative architecture or exploring Austrian culture, the Austria Pavilion promises to be one of the most engaging and forward-thinking attractions at Expo 2025.

Austria@Expo 2025 — Composing The future — Together.