Politecnico joins Expo Osaka 2025
Politecnico di Torino will join Expo Osaka 2025, which opened last week in Japan. From October 1st to 3rd, the University will present a multimedia exhibition in the Italian Pavilion, to showcase its cutting-edge research on flight and space. Themes will range from drones expected to become part of everyday mobility in cities to the latest generation of aircraft that will fly in the stratosphere, as well as satellites, with their applications for space exploration and their many uses on Earth.
Thanks to a call for proposals from the Italian Ministry for Universities and Research (MUR), Politecnico has the opportunity to present a project within the multifunctional space of the Italian Pavilion in Japan. Politecnico's proposal, entitled 'AIRONE – Aircraft and drones for sustainable civil mobility', was developed by a team composed by the Department of Architecture and Design-DAD, the Communication and Media Relations Unit, the Internationalization, Cooperation, Alliances and Mobility Area, and the Japan Hub, with the participation of Politecnico's Vice-Rector for Scientific and Technological Innovation Giuliana Mattiazzo as scientific director. AIRONE was selected along with six other Italian universities and five AFAM institutions. All of them will present Italian research and cultural richness by alternating in the Pavilion.
Politecnico will therefore present the frontiers of its research in the aerospace field, with a particular focus on sustainability and mobility of people. Its multimedia journey, featuring prototypes, videos, and narration, will guide visitors on an ascent, lifting their gaze towards space and exploring the frontier of the 'flying machines' that were also subjects of Leonardo da Vinci's research. “Once you have tasted flight,” he wrote, “you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you wish to be.” The Italian Pavilion at Expo will also house the Codice Atlantico, with some drawings by the Renaissance genius dedicated to this theme. Flight will also be the protagonist of the Pavilion with the reproduction of the SVA 9, the legendary biplane, icon of Italian aeronautical engineering, which in 1920 made the epic Rome-Tokyo flight piloted by Arturo Ferrarin.
Politecnico's presence at Expo will be a key asset to consolidate its collaboration with Japan, a strategic country for the University. In 2023, PoliTO launched its hub in Kyoto, which will also be expanded to the capital, Tokyo, this year. Two panels with Italian and Japanese guests will also be held at the Expo, to enhance relationships with the local top academic and industrial institutions.
COVER IMAGE: MCA VISUAL - COURTESY OF ITALY EXPO 2025 OSAKA