Ocean: Blue Dialogue is the theme of Portugal's participation at Expo Osaka Kansai 2025, which will be taking place in Japan from 13 April to 13 October. The programme was officially presented on 16 January at a ceremony at the Lisbon Oceanarium, attended by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Minister for the Economy Pedro Reis. Also present were the President of AICEP, Ricardo Arroja, the entity organising Portugal’s presence at the event, and the President of Turismo de Portugal, Carlos Abade, the entity that will now co-coordinate the country’s participation, which is led by Joana Gomes Cardoso, the General Commissioner of Portugal at the Expo.
The main goals of participating at Expo 2025 are: reinforce Portugal's role as a leader in maritime policies, at a time when the country is applying for a permanent member seat on the UN Security Council; highlight its contribution to ocean conservation and the sustainable development of blue economy clusters; promote culture; and inspire the desire to visit, study, work and invest in Portugal. The event is expected to receive around 28.2 million visitors.
The programme presented focuses on four programming axes – blue economy, innovation, sustainability and culture – and involves around 150 entities including companies, municipalities, associations, universities and foundations. The Portuguese programme for the event will feature regional representation and a diverse range of themes and sectors. This was achieved thanks to joint coordination by AICEP and Turismo de Portugal, who managed to establish strategic partnerships with entities such as the Oceano Azul Foundation, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Catholic University, the Nova University, the University of Aveiro, the municipal councils of Lisbon and Porto, and representatives from various regions.
The Portugal Pavilion, whose central theme is Portugal’s connection to the oceans and whose construction involved elements such as recycled maritime nets and cables, will be the headquarters of the Portuguese participation at Expo 2025. The pavilion will host a permanent exhibition created especially for this event and which highlights Portugal's relationship with the sea. The Pavilion’s shop will be selling products from various Portuguese brands and will also have a restaurant dedicated to promoting Portuguese cuisine, a performance area, and a space prepared to host exhibitions and temporary events.
Conceived and designed by Turismo de Portugal, the seahorse UMI ("ocean" in Japanese) will be Portugal's mascot at the World Expo. It symbolises the deep historical and cultural connection between Portugal and Japan and also evokes the resilience and serenity that both countries have demonstrated over the centuries in building a solid and lasting cooperative relationship. UMI also brings a message of environmental awareness and global responsibility. The mascot invites visitors to Expo 2025 to reflect on the preservation of the oceans and the importance of establishing international partnerships in building a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Also worthy of note is the fact that, for the first time in initiatives of this kind, the Portuguese delegation’s participation at Expo 2025 will be accompanied by a mirror programme in Portugal. The aim is to bring Expo Osaka closer to those who cannot visit it, providing an introduction to Japan and the historical and current ties between the two countries.
Portugal's participation at Expo 2025 Osaka is being organised by AICEP and co-coordinated with Turismo de Portugal.
You can watch videos about Portugal’s participation on Turismo de Portugal’s YouTube channel:
