CVC at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka

The Computer Vision Center took part in Catalonia Week at the Osaka 2025 World Expo. This initiative, framed within the Catalunya–Japan Year, served as a window to the world to showcase the very best of Catalonia in areas such as tourism, gastronomy, culture, and, especially, innovation.

The Osaka 2025 Expo, held under the global theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, is taking place in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to October 13, 2025, with participation from over 150 countries. This international event aims to address major global challenges—such as health, sustainability, and wellbeing—through science, technology, and international cooperation. The Spanish Pavilion, located in the “Saving Lives” zone, has been designed as an open and dynamic square that reflects a strong commitment to knowledge, creativity, and social innovation as drivers of the future. With a diverse and decentralized programme, the pavilion offers a platform for Spain’s autonomous communities to showcase their contributions to this shared future.

Under the theme “Catalonia: Land of Innovation and Avant-garde”, the CVC participated alongside the Department of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia with two interactive demonstrations exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, art, and creativity. In the pavilion’s multipurpose room—a space dedicated to creative and technological experiences—the center captivated thousands of visitors with a facial expression detection and real-time art generation installation, and another demonstration focused on the automated creation of comics using AI.

Visitors of all ages and backgrounds had the chance to experience firsthand how computer vision can transform facial expressions into art or generate visual storytelling through AI. These CVC showcases were presented alongside other standout Catalan initiatives such as the ENAKD project, developed by Neuroelectrics and Biocat—a brain-computer active interface—and the Grand Tour of Catalonia, an immersive virtual reality journey through the region.

During the Expo, the CVC demonstrations also received visits from high-level institutional representatives. On Wednesday, May 28, the President of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, visited the Catalan Pavilion, where he learned about the CVC’s work and tested our AI comic generation demonstration.

Other institutional visitors included Jaume Duch, Minister for Foreign Action and the European Union; Agustí Fernández de Losada, Secretary for Foreign Action and the EU; José Andrés Torres, President of Acción Cultural Española and Commissioner of the Spanish Pavilion; and Mònica Castellà, Delegate of the Government of Catalonia in Japan.

In addition to the demonstrations, the week also featured events related to Catalonia’s AI ecosystem, such as the debate “Artificial Intelligence: A New Social Pact”, organized as part of the DETA Alliance for OEIAC. The weekly programme was further enriched with artistic workshops by the Joan Miró Foundation, musical performances, and gastronomic tastings, offering a rich and diverse perspective on Catalan talent.

Representing the CVC were Núria Martínez, Head of Communications, and Meritxell Bassolas, Head of Strategic Projects. Accompanied by Aida Díaz, Programme Director for Internationalisation at the Department of Research, they also conducted strategic visits to research and entrepreneurship centres across Japan, with the goal of gaining deeper insight into the Japanese innovation ecosystem and exploring potential future collaborations.

On Thursday, May 29, Meritxell Bassolas visited the renowned FUGAKU-RIKEN research centre in Kobe. The visit, co-organised by the Catalan Government’s Trade and Investment Office (ACCIÓ), with the participation of its Tokyo delegate Yuko Kijimoto, the BSC-CNS, R-CCS, and the Barcelona City Council, featured the TECH Talks— an event focused on Catalonia’s supercomputing ecosystem and joint projects with Japan. The event provided a valuable opportunity to foster knowledge sharing and networking between academia and industry, in the prestigious setting of the Fugaku supercomputer, one of the most powerful in the world.

The following day, May 30, we traveled to Nagoya to explore the city’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, with support from the Startup Support Division of Aichi Prefecture’s Economic Affairs Office. The visits included STATION AI, Japan’s largest startup incubator, which promotes open innovation through collaboration with the manufacturing industry, and Nagoya Innovators Garage, a hub designed to foster collaboration among businesses, startups, academic institutions, and the public sector.

Through its participation in Osaka, the CVC has helped highlight the global potential of Catalan science and reinforce Catalonia’s image as an international hub for technological and creative innovation.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to represent Catalonia at such a globally significant event as the World Expo. A huge thanks to the Department of Research and the Department of Foreign Action of the Government of Catalonia for their trust and support!