Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

The Swiss Pavilion attracted hundreds of visitors and space enthusiasts during the space Week events conducted in the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. During this important week, Space experts from around the world gathered to discuss sustainable space logistics, radio astronomy, the management of space debris and educational programmes for outreach amongst young people.

One of our participants, Prof. Claude Nicollier, Former and the First Swiss Astronaut, said: “It is a great pleasure for me to participate in the Space Week organised by the Swiss Pavilion and to meet other experts from around the world. It is indeed a great opportunity to highlight the Swiss achievements in the field of Space that we consider a source for inspiration, for knowledge, and for a better world tomorrow.”

Prof. Jean-Paul Kneib from EPFL discussed Sustainable Space Logistics and presented their Space Sustainability Rating, a critical subject in the context of the space industry evolving towards a predominantly commercial operation. The talk was attended by a high-level delegation from India involved in the space sector.

A guest lecture by Prof. Nicollier and Naoko Yamazaki, former JAXA astronaut, in collaboration with the Japanese Pavilion and the UAE University presented an inspiring perspective on what drives astronauts to space missions while giving glimpses of their personal experiences.

A joint workshop conducted by Ms. Emmanuelle David, EPFL eSpace, Chloé Carrière, Space@yourService and Dr. Aquib Moin of the UAE University, and in collaboration with the UAE University outlined the road to youth empowerment: space science, outreach & sustainability to students.

On the issue of rising space debris, Luc Piguet, ClearSpace, Prof. Moriba Jah, University of Texas at Austin and Prof. Thomas Schildknecht, University of Bern conducted a panel discussion under the subject - Space Debris: Knowledge creation & Problem solving. The session was attended by a high level delegation of the Brazilian space agency.

The Space week was organised in collaboration with Swissnex, the global network connecting Switzerland and the world in education, research, and innovation, EPFL Space Centre (eSpace), ClearSpace, Space@yourService, UAE University, the Australian, Japanese and the Indian pavilions.

Switzerland was the first country to confirm its participation in the Expo 2020 Dubai. The Swiss Pavilion offers a unique encounter with Switzerland. It showcases Switzerland as a country of scenic beauty and a leading hub of technology and innovation by presenting the excellence of Swiss universities, start-ups and companies as well as creating joint events with local partners.

The Swiss Pavilion relies on a public-private partnership model. It promotes Switzerland’s economic capacity and attractiveness to the UAE – the most important trading partner in the Middle East. It turns the spotlight on its high-quality products and services together with its partners Schindler, Rolex SA, Switzerland Tourism, Roche, Clariant, Novartis, Nestlé Middle East and North Africa and KGS Diamond Group Ltd and suppliers.

Presence Switzerland is in charge of the Swiss Pavilion. It is the unit of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for Switzerland’s image abroad and Switzerland’s official presence in international events, such as World Expos. The selected project ‘Reflections’ was designed by the Swiss project team OOS AG (architecture), Bellprat Partner AG (scenography) and Lorenz Eugster Landscaping GmbH (landscaping) and built by General contractor Expomobilia.

The Swiss pavilion received visitors from around the world and take them into an emotional journey through Switzerland. The pavilion expects to receive 10% of Expo’s visitors on a daily basis.

The journey starts on the giant red carpet that Switzerland rolled out for this event and takes visitors from traditional Switzerland to the innovative country, ranked for the 11th year in a row, as the world’s most innovative as per the Global Innovation Index (WIPO) in 2021.

Visitors will start their journey through the pavilion in the Sea of Fog, a unique and immersive experience. Emerging from the fog a surprising view of a Swiss mountain panorama is revealed. The journey continues with a Schindler’s exhibition about the future of mobility and ends with the fountains of innovations, highlighting the topnotch Swiss innovations in different fields.

Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE & Bahrain, said: “Our participation in Expo 2020 Dubai will further strengthen the excellent relationship that Switzerland and the UAE have enjoyed since the 1970s. We are convinced that this global event will be a major success for all participants and commend the UAE for bringing the world together after such a challenging time”.

In line with Expo’s theme “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future”, the Swiss pavilion in collaboration with Swissnex, the global network connecting Switzerland and the world in education, research, and innovation is organizing 10 thematic weeks, bringing together Swiss experts from different fields to discuss with their counterparts current challenges to find efficient solutions for the future. Temporary exhibitions will also be taking places to highlight the latest Swiss innovations.

Manuel Salchli, Commissioner General of the Swiss Pavilion and Chairman of the Steering Committee at Expo 2020 Dubai said: “We are so proud to see our Swiss Pavilion beautifully coming to life. After years of hard work and preparations, we are excited to welcome the world to discover Switzerland, the nation of innovation, technology, education, sustainability and magical landscapes. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the UAE government and Expo team for the great cooperation and I look forward to celebrate our success together”.

The selected project ‘Reflections’ is produced by Presence Switzerland, the public diplomacy agency of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and designed in collaboration with the Swiss creative team: OOS AG (architecture, general planning), Bellprat Partner AG (scenography) and Lorenz Eugster Landscaping GmbH (landscape architecture). It is built by ExpoMobilia.

The Swiss Pavilion relies on a public-private partnership model, including partners: Schindler, Rolex SA, Switzerland Tourism, Clariant, Novartis, Nestlé Middle East and North Africa and KGS Diamond Group Ltd – and numerous suppliers.

Switzerland was the first country to confirm its participation in the Expo 2020 Dubai. The Swiss Pavilion offers a unique encounter with Switzerland. It showcases Switzerland as a country of scenic beauty and a leading hub of technology and innovation by presenting the excellence of Swiss universities, start-ups and companies as well as creating joint events with local partners.