Germany set to showcase 'world of sustainability' at Expo 2020 pavilion

Visitors to the German Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 will be taken on a journey that will leave them inspired with a number of ideas on how they can contribute to reducing their impact on the planet, officials said at an event on Wednesday.
The design of the pavilion and its theme, 'Campus Germany', were revealed at a special event, attended by Ernst Peter Fischer, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UAE; and Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, executive director of the Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau; along with several other officials and delegates.
In his address, Fischer noted that the pavilion will provide nothing less than a 'wow experience' for visitors at the Expo. "Germany has a long tradition of coming to the Expos and taking them very seriously, because we believe that they are a unique opportunity where million of people can come, enjoy, and exchange ideas while learning about the futures of our societies and our planet. The pavilion will show how Germany wants to work together with partners and friends in the UAE to build a good future for our one and only shared planet."
"We are very proud of the close relations that we have long enjoyed with Germany," said Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali. "Around 10,000 German nationals have made the UAE their home, and more than 300,000 visited the country in the first half of this year. The German pavilion promises to be one of the most visited and interesting of the Expo 2020. At Expo 2020 Dubai, we want all our visitors to contribute to making the world a better place, and the German Pavilion will provide a fascinating platform for people to learn, have fun and explore sustainability together."
Campus Germany will be located at Expo 2020's Sustainability District, and will feature a 'vertical campus' design consisting of separate modules that converge at a spacious atrium with a stage and restaurant, creating a structure that reflects the country's underlying theme. Campus Germany will provide every visitor with their own personalised interactive experience, while showcasing the country's latest science and technology innovations.
Speaking at the event, Gerald Böse, president and CEO of Koelnmesse, the company tasked with organising and running the German Pavilion at the Expo, noted that every World Expo is different.
"The themes and focus change, as do visitors' expectations with regard to presentation and live communication," he said. "Each new host seeks to add something innovative and special to the Expo mix; this goes for Dubai too. Though Expo 2020 will be the first World Exhibition to be held in this region, one thing remains the same - it's always a thrilling, exhilarating event and an extraordinary challenge for the pavilion team."
Dietmar Schmitz, commissioner general of the German Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai, revealed that Germany has chosen sustainability as the focus of its pavilion. This, he noted, is an obvious choice in light of the fact that Germany is the country where the energy revolution known as the 'Energiewende' was born, and a place where science, industry and large parts of civil society are actively committed to securing a sustainable future.
"This is the message we want to convey in Dubai," he said. "The goal is to give visitors an unforgettable and entertaining day at the Expo, while also creating awareness of global problems. Germany's federal budget has set aside ?50 million for the entire project. It is an investment that pays off, since Germany uses its participation in Expos as an opportunity to look to the future and present potential solutions in the areas of science, technology and research for current problems related to the Expo theme."
He added: "The Campus Germany concept behind the German Pavilion in Dubai addresses an issue that is high on this region's agenda: education. The pavilion will be a forward-looking, optimistic place of knowledge, research and human interaction. Its messages will be clear and easy to understand; not too complicated. Everyone will be able to get involved and feel part of a large community."
Each visitor's experience at the Campus Germany pavilion will be delivered by an intelligent assistance system called 'IAMU', which will act as an invisible companion to visitors, providing them with information as they move through the pavilion. IAMU technology will be showcased to the world for the first time at Expo 2020 Dubai. Visitors to Campus Germany will begin their journey by 'enrolling'. After providing basic information such as their name, nationality and preferred language, they will receive an IAMU-enabled badge that will guide them through the pavilion.
In line with its modular theme, the pavilion will feature different 'labs' for visitors to explore. The Energy Lab, Future City Lab and Biodiversity Lab, for example, will enable people to learn more about Germany's achievements and innovations in the field of sustainability, while becoming more aware of how their actions affect the environment. By the end of the journey, each visitor will be awakened to the fact that a collective effort is required to achieve further progress in sustainability, and that there is more that unites humanity than divides it.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com