Oslo getting ready for Expo 2010

September 8, 2009

Arild Blixrud, the Commissioner General for Norway at Expo 2010. Photo: en.expo2010.cn.

Oslo city council will be present at Expo 2010, as part of the Norwegian pavilion, to help businesses, research and development institutions and culture in the Oslo region making the World Expo in Shanghai next year an arena for building relationships.

The agreement for Oslo’s participation was signed by councillor Jøran Kallmyr and Arild Blixrud, the Commissioner General for Norway at Expo 2010, on Sept, 3. This took place during a meeting at Oslo city hall, in which businesses, knowledge based clusters and environments from the region were invited to a presentation showcasing the planned Norwegian activity in China next year. The agreement means Oslo can host events at the national pavilion’s business centre and gives the opportunity to work with national authorities on themed weeks and events throughout the exhibition.

“The ambition for Oslo city council at Expo 2010 is to profile Oslo and the areas around the capital as an attractive and competitive knowledge region. To deliver this message, we wish to promote our top environments. The best way to do this is together with our businesses and our best knowledge institutions,” said Kallmyr. Oslo is the only capital in the world that is officially twinned with Shanghai, and Kallmyr emphasised how such an agreement can act as a door-opener towards Chinese contacts. “I am certain that the World Expo represent great opportunities for networking and building relationships. We need to also welcome the fact that we can learn a lot from Chinese environments, both public and private businesses,” he continued.

Blixrud, was very happy to get Oslo city council on board as a partner at Expo 2010. “Congratulations. I have been looking forward to this from the start,” he said. “It is obvious that Oslo, as the capital region, should be part of the Norwegian pavilion. It strengthens the credibility and the potential for profiling the entire Norwegian participation at Expo 2010.

“Better City, Better Life” is the theme for the World Expo, which is open from 1 May to 31 October 2010. Norway’s theme for the exhibition is Norway. Powered by Nature, which will tie in with the interaction between nature and cities, listing sustainable urban development, energy, creative powers and way of life as key words.

A total of 70 million people are expected to visit Expo 2010, and 230 exhibitors are registered, divided in countries, regions and organisations. 3 million visitors are expected to the Norwegian pavilion. In addition, all the effort put down in advance and after the World Expo will be just as important as the actual exhibition when it comes to profiling work and building relationships in China. Oslo Teknopol has helped with input and ideas when defining the Oslo message at the national pavilion, and is responsible for the planning and doing of activities in connection with the knowledge based clusters in the Oslo region at Expo 2010. This will be done in close partnerships with the Oslo city council project management, Norway at Expo 2010 and other relevant partners.

Source: Oslo Teknopol