Switzerland reaffirms its commitment to the success of the Expo 2020 Dubai, which will run from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, and marks one year to go to the upcoming World Expo. On this occasion, the Swiss Pavilion is taking part in the first Pre-Expo event on 5−6 October 2020, which will be dedicated to space.

The Expo offers a significant opportunity for the Swiss Pavilion to showcase Switzerland’s technological expertise and to promote Switzerland as a fertile ground for scientific research and innovation. In this regard, the Swiss Pavilion joins the Pre-Expo Space Week, the first online event of the programme series ahead of next year’s Expo.

“Switzerland is not only a tech nation, but also a space nation! The pre-Expo Space Week is an excellent opportunity to highlight Switzerland’s strength in innovation, research and education in the field of space”, says Manuel Salchli, Commissioner General of the Swiss Pavilion and Chairman of the Steering Committee of Expo 2020 Dubai.

The Swiss Pavilion has partnered with the EPFL Space Centre, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne (EPFL), to put forward leading projects of the Swiss space scene such as the Swiss startup ClearSpace. This spin-off of the EPFL has just begun on building the first satellite that can capture and deorbit space debris. The European Space Agency has entrusted ClearSpace to lead a European consortium that will develop technologies for more sustainable activities in space.

In a Covid-19 context, the Expo is also an important economic platform: the Swiss Pavilion will turn on the spotlight on Swiss companies and the tourism sector to promote the country’s economic capacity and attractiveness in the UAE, which is Switzerland's foremost trading partner in the Middle East.

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 suppliers.

The selected project ‘Reflection’ was designed by the Swiss project team OOS AG (architecture, general planning), Bellprat Partner AG (scenography) and Lorenz Eugster Landscaping GmbH (landscape architecture), and built by ExpoMobilia.