Transforming the legacy of Expo 2025 Osaka into a permanent innovation hub for global food security
Explore the VisionImagine a world where the bustling global gathering of a World Expo doesn't just fade into memory but transforms into a living, breathing engine for solving one of humanity's most pressing challenges: how to feed a growing population on a warming planet. This is the ambitious vision taking root on Yumeshima, the artificial island in Osaka Bay that hosted the 2025 World Exposition.
Themed "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," Expo 2025 was never meant to be a mere six-month showcase 1 7 . It was conceived as a "People's Living Lab"—a testing ground for sustainable technologies and collaborative ideas 1 7 .
Now, as the pavilions come down, that lab is evolving into a permanent Science and Technology Park dedicated to pioneering the future of food. In a world of increasing climate volatility and resource scarcity, this transformation represents a bold bet on human ingenuity, turning a symbol of international cooperation into a permanent headquarters for the fight for global food security.
The 2025 Osaka Expo was built upon a powerful foundational concept. Unlike traditional exhibitions where visitors passively observe, the Expo was designed as an active laboratory. Its central theme, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," was explored through sub-themes like "Saving Lives," "Empowering Lives," and "Connecting Lives"—all of which directly relate to creating a more resilient and equitable food system 1 5 7 .
The signature wooden structure is being transformed into collaborative research spaces.
Expo zones are becoming specialized research centers focused on different aspects of food security.
International collaborations formed during the Expo continue to drive innovation.
The physical site itself is ideal for this transformation. The Expo's signature Grand Ring, a monumental wooden structure recognized by Guinness World Records, and the distinct thematic zones (Empowering Lives, Saving Lives, and Connecting Lives) are being repurposed not as monuments to the past, but as infrastructure for the future 1 .
The Saving Lives zone, originally focused on global health, naturally expands to encompass the health of our agricultural systems. The Connecting Lives zone, which highlighted global harmony, now facilitates the connection between researchers, entrepreneurs, and farmers 5 . This seamless transition from exhibition to application is the core of the science park's philosophy. It ensures that the momentum and global partnerships forged during the Expo continue to accelerate, focusing the world's brightest minds on designing a food-secure future.
The research and development underway at the Yumeshima Science and Technology Park are not focused on a single silver bullet, but on a diversified portfolio of complementary approaches.
At the heart of the modern agricultural revolution is data. Precision agriculture utilizes a suite of technologies—including GPS, sensors, drones, and satellite imagery—to manage fields with centimeter-level accuracy.
Companies like Planet provide daily, high-resolution satellite monitoring that allows for the creation of detailed maps showing variations in crop health, soil moisture, and nutrient levels 2 8 . The result is a dramatic increase in efficiency: farmers can apply water, fertilizer, and pesticides only where and when they are needed, reducing input costs and environmental impact. By 2025, these technologies are projected to reduce fertilizer use by up to 30% in sustainable farming systems .
For maximum resource efficiency, some of the park's most exciting work happens completely indoors. Vertical farming involves growing crops in stacked layers within controlled environments, using LED lighting and soilless techniques like hydroponics and aeroponics 3 .
This method uses up to 95% less water than traditional agriculture and allows for year-round production in urban centers, minimizing transportation emissions 3 . Similarly, aquaponics combines fish farming (aquaculture) with soilless plant cultivation (hydroponics) in a closed-loop, symbiotic system. The fish waste provides nutrients for the plants, and the plants naturally filter the water, which is then recirculated to the fish tanks 3 9 .
While technology is crucial, the park also looks to enhance natural systems. Regenerative agriculture is a set of practices designed to restore soil health and biodiversity.
By minimizing soil disturbance (no-till farming), using cover crops, and integrating livestock, this approach can increase soil organic carbon—potentially capturing up to 20% more carbon by 2025—which not only mitigates climate change but also improves the land's resilience to drought and floods 3 . Agroforestry, the practice of integrating trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems, further boosts this resilience. These systems can support over 40% more wildlife species compared to conventional monoculture farms, while also slowing water runoff and providing windbreaks 3 .
Replacing unsustainable inputs is a major research focus. One of the most promising alternatives is microalgae. These microscopic photosynthetic organisms are nutritional powerhouses, rich in essential amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins 9 .
Researchers are investigating them as a sustainable replacement for traditional aquafeeds (like fishmeal) in aquaponic systems 9 . Microalgae production has a significantly lower environmental footprint than terrestrial crops in terms of water and land use, making it a cornerstone of the park's blue-green economy approach 9 .
| Method Name | Core Practices | Estimated Yield Improvement | Resource Efficiency | Scalability in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical Farming | Stacked layers, hydroponics, LED lighting, controlled climate | 15-30% | Up to 95% less water, 50%+ less land | Very high for urban areas |
| Aquaponics | Combines fish farming & soilless plant cultivation in a symbiotic system | Varies by system | Significant water reduction, no synthetic fertilizers | Moderate, growing commercially |
| Regenerative Agriculture | No-till, cover crops, diverse rotations, managed grazing | 5-20% | 15-30% less water, cuts fertilizer/pesticide use | High, adaptable to most systems |
| Agroforestry | Combining trees with crops and/or livestock | 10-25% | 10-20% water savings; lower input needs | High, increasing large-scale uptake |
To understand how the scientists at Yumeshima are tackling multiple problems at once, let's examine a pivotal experiment that bridges the gap between sustainable aquaculture and plant nutrition.
The researchers established a decoupled aquaponic system, meaning the aquaculture (fish tank) and hydroponic (plant grow bed) units are separate but linked through a controlled water exchange 9 . This allows for optimizing conditions for both fish and plants.
The results demonstrated the powerful dual benefit of microalgae.
This experiment is scientifically important because it moves beyond a simple feed substitution. It demonstrates a system-level optimization. The microalgae not only sustainably nourish the fish but also act as a potent biofertilizer, creating a more complete and efficient nutrient cycle for plant growth. This directly addresses a major limitation of traditional aquaponics, where plants often suffer from nutrient deficiencies 9 .
| Metric | Control Group (Fishmeal Feed) | Experimental Group (50% Microalgae Feed) | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Weight Gain | 100% (Baseline) | 98.5% | No significant difference |
| Feed Conversion Ratio | 1.7 | 1.72 | No significant difference |
| Lettuce Biomass Yield | 100% (Baseline) | 115% | 15% increase |
| Water Potassium (K) Level | Low | Optimal Range | Corrected a common deficiency |
The work at the science park relies on a sophisticated array of tools and biological agents.
Single-celled organisms cultivated in photobioreactors. Used as a sustainable protein source in novel aquafeeds and as a biofertilizer due to their rich profile of vitamins, amino acids, and micronutrients 9 .
Cloud-based scripts used with platforms like the Planet Insights Platform to process and analyze raw satellite imagery, generating custom indices like NDVI (a measure of plant health) without downloading massive datasets 2 .
Inert substrates like perlite, rockwool, or peat moss used to support plant roots in soilless systems. They provide physical support while allowing for efficient delivery of water, oxygen, and nutrients 9 .
Instruments used to analyze the genetic makeup of crops, soil microbes, and fish. Critical for developing disease-resistant, drought-tolerant crop varieties and for understanding the microbial ecosystems that support soil health .
Wireless networks of in-field sensors that continuously monitor real-time conditions, including soil moisture, temperature, nutrient levels, and light intensity, enabling precise automated responses .
The transformation of Expo 2025 into a science and technology park is more than a clever reuse of a site; it is a powerful symbol of the long-term, action-oriented approach required to feed the planet.
The research emerging from Yumeshima—from the precise data of satellite-driven agriculture to the elegant symbiosis of a microalgae-aquaponic system—demonstrates that the solutions are within our grasp. They are not standalone miracles, but interconnected pieces of a new agricultural paradigm that is both high-tech and deeply ecological.
Revitalized soils capturing atmospheric carbon
Hyper-efficient irrigation saving precious resources
Resilient, locally grown food for all
The legacy of the Expo, therefore, will not be measured by the number of visitors it once hosted, but by the future it helps to cultivate. It will be counted in the tons of carbon sequestered in revitalized soils, the liters of water saved through hyper-efficient irrigation, and the communities nourished by resilient, locally grown food. The "People's Living Lab" is now open for permanent business, inviting us all to participate in the most important design project of all: creating a future where everyone has a seat at the table.