THEME COMPANION CONNECTING MINDS, CREATING THE FUTURE

Expo 2020 Themes01. Theme

Since the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations held in London in 1851, World Expos have connected people, enriched lives and supported the path of human progress. They have educated people from around the world and consistently showcased advancement and innovation.

It is at a World Expo that Thomas Edison presented his first photograph to the public in 1878 in Paris. In 1901 in Buffalo, the first x-ray machine was introduced as was the first television in 1939 in New York; the mobile phone in 1970 in Japan; and the touchscreen in 1982 in Tennessee. Not to forget that in 1876 Heinz tomato ketchup made its debut in a World Expo.

Landmarks have also been born in Expos. In 1889 the Paris World Fair opened its doors through the Eiffel Tower, which was built as the entrance arch to the event and the first ever Ferris-wheel was designed and constructed for the Chicago World Fair of 1893.

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01. Theme

Expo 2020 Themes

Throughout history, Expos have had the power to define and reframe the times in which we live and this has been most recently reflected in their unifying themes. Today, Expos are no longer solely dedicated to showcasing industrial progress, but have also become discussion platforms aimed at finding solutions to universal challenges of our time, such as urbanism (Expo Shanghai 2010) or nutrition (Expo Milan 2015).

With its theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future Expo 2020 will bring global focus on one of the most transformative times for humanity; a time when our human potential is completely transformed by our physical and digital connections.

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“Connected thinking is the best hope for progress and for successful and peaceful existence in the generations to come.”His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

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In 2020, the United Arab Emirates will host the first ever World Expo in the Arab World in the city of Dubai, a global cross-road that connects people, resources and knowledge.

Connecting Minds, Creating the Future

02: Theme

With its central theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, Expo 2020 celebrates the power of collaboration and partnerships in the new world we live in. A world which is shaped and reshaped by ever expanding connections; an interdependent world where the challenges that humanity faces have become far too complex to be solved in isolation.

The maps of this world are no longer limited to the territorial and political borders. They are defined by the intensity and the reach of our connections as people, goods

and ideas move faster and further in the physical and digital space. And in this world, where we are connected like never before, there is unlimited potential to tap into the innovative and creative contributions from everywhere, crossing geographies, institutional boundaries, industry clusters, cultures, and disciplines.

The principal message of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future is optimistic and uplifting, highlighting how much humanity can accomplish when people work together to solve common challenges.

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The three subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability reflect the three pillars of the future. They capture the hope and dreams of people, organizations, and countries and give us shared goals around which to connect to drive an inclusive and sustainable future.

03. Subtheme

Opportunity, Mobility, Sustainability

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“Seeing the world through the lens of connectivity generates new visions of how we organise ourselves as a species.”

Parag Khanna – Connectography

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03. Subtheme

OpportunityOpportunity is about unlocking new possibilities for people and communities to become successful contributors to the future.

MobilityMobility is about creating smarter and more productive physical and virtual connections.

03. Subtheme

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SustainabilitySustainability is about living in balance with the world we inhabit.

03. Subtheme

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Expo 2020 Dubai will explore these themes from three perspectives:

03. Subtheme

InnovationWhat are the innovative ideas, solutions and practices that are generated by our connections?

InclusionHow are we connecting to extend and scale the benefits of innovation to the greatest number of people and communities?

UnderstandingHow can we leverage our connections to build greater understanding and empathy between people but also with our planet?

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03. Subtheme

The world of the 21st century is one of great potential where we can work together as never before to share new ideas, technologies and solutions. This potential can be successfully unlocked when we understand the links between our quest for opportunity, the essential need for mobility and connectivity and the importance to act sustainably for the future.

When we connect these three engines of progress – Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability - we can have the best hope to harness the capabilities of individuals and the choices we make to shape a better future.

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Opportunity is the seed that enables people and communities to realise their potential in a fast-changing world. Opportunity is at the core of human development and growth: it transforms dreams and aspirations of people into the realities of tomorrow.

Opportunity can take as many forms as there are diversity of people and contexts. It is in the “eye of the beholder” as it is shaped by different geographies, histories, values and visions of the future.

However, irrespective of these differences, opportunity exists where we promote environments and resources that nurture human talent through education, employment, good governance, access to financial resources, entrepreneurship and the development of new industries.

Central to the subtheme of Opportunity is the growth of human population. We live in a time of remarkable demographic change. In approximately 50 years, population has grown from 3 billion in 1960 to over 7 billion people today. Our world is not only more connected but it is getting bigger.

Unlocking the potential within individuals and communities to shape a better future.

Unlocking Opportunity04. Opportunity

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While meeting the basic needs of shelter, food, safety and health is the foundation of opportunity for more people, education is a powerful accelerator. It empowers individuals to make a meaningful contribution to society. Governance systems alongside smarter use and distribution of financial and intellectual capital can unleash significant new opportunities, inspire new generations of entrepreneurs and give way to new industries that create and scale solutions for more people.

Opportunities and their enablers increasingly come together in our cities, which are responsible for 80 per cent of the world’s wealth today and are the true engines of opportunity. Cities have historically been focal points of civilisation, nurturing humanity’s greatest intellectual, cultural and technological advances, and driving commerce, creativity, knowledge and social change.

With more than half of humanity already living in cities and 70% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2030, the cities of tomorrow will be sources of extraordinary potential. Urban centres will consolidate knowledge, experience and creative talent to enable new systems of prosperity and security for more people.

A bigger more connected world can be a world of opportunity if we can work together to fortify networks that generate new ideas, inventions, and breakthroughs. A more interconnected world means we can promote a more balanced and inclusive development across the spectrum of human and social contexts. And a smarter world means we can mobilize the flow of knowledge more intelligently and in a timely way to make informed and sustainable decisions.

04. Opportunity

FACT

Altogether, nearly 2.5 billion people are expected to join the global urban population by 2050 with the number of megacities doubling from 42 today to almost 90 over the next 20 years. Forecasts suggest that over 90 per cent of the world’s long haul air traffic will be between or through these hubs.

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The interaction of elements from the new generation of technologies will give rise to new industries and new sources of opportunity. By combining insights from theoretical physics, communications and information science, nanotechnology, biotechnology and neuroscience, researchers

and engineers will go beyond strict disciplinary boundaries and open new areas of application.

Developments such as 3-D printing, the Internet of Things (IoT), human-machine interfaces and new materials may allow us to manufacture products, design biological systems, improve our well-being and manage our resources in game-changing ways.Technological innovation will also transform access and flows of capital between people and across continents. From high-speed automated trading to digital currencies and platforms such as blockchain, new forms of transactions and modes of payment are emerging.

A new era of technological revolution is unfolding. All around us new technologies are coming together to solve complex problems in creative, previously unimaginable ways. Futurists predict that, with our rate of progress doubling every decade, we can expect more advances in science and technology between now and 2020 than in the entire 20th century. From 2020 to 2100, developments could in fact outpace the last 20,000 years of human progress.

Innovation

04. Opportunity

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Inclusion

Governance and institutional practices will be at the core of inclusive opportunities for a growing population in a fast changing technological world.

Education systems will not only change with new technologies - transforming how we learn, what we learn, where we learn, but they will be instrumental to ensure access to a whole new world of employment. With technology and robotics replacing humans in established professions, education systems will have to ensure that youth is prepared to access the jobs of the future, and that people can be a part of the new economy through life-long learning.

With the SDGs as global guiding principles, broader solutions to expand access to

schools, entrepreneurship, health and core services can emerge from stronger connections between the public and public sectors but also through the work of social entrepreneurs and impact investors.

Economic free zones, creative districts, incubators for entrepreneurs as well as cities themselves provide examples of environments of different scale where good governance is at work to unlock opportunities.

04. Opportunity

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04. Opportunity

Understanding

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As we pursue the rich possibilities offered by technology, we must also bear in mind that it merely provides tools. It remains our responsibility to understand the cultural and ethical implications of their adoption, to equip ourselves, and future generations, with the policies, skills and understanding to embrace change in a sustainable way.

Alongside the understanding of opportunity in the context of society, we can also look forward to new discoveries in the science of the brain to expand our knowledge about

the creative processes that take place in our mind and truly celebrate the wonders of our shared humanity.

Questions for the Future

• Will there still be classrooms in 2050?

• Would you apply for a job as a data curator?

• What will money look like in the future?

• Will we crowdsource government policies in the future?

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Areas of focus

Inspiring, training, capacity building, and

mentoring individuals and communities to reach

their potential.

Education New IndustriesEmployment Financial Capital Governance

Creating new jobs and enabling people to adapt

to new requirements in the workplace and changing economic environments.

Creating new financial models, providing access to finance, and achieving greater financial inclusion

and efficiency.

Diversifying economies and developing innovative

industries and sectors.

Creating environments and ecosystems that are

conducive to and promote innovation and opportunity.

04. Opportunity

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Transforming Mobility05. Mobility

Pioneers from all ages and places have reached beyond the confines of the known world in search of opportunity. These advances have played powerful roles in driving further economic, technological, social and scientific progress.

Today, mobility has two major dimensions: physical and digital.

Physical movement of people and goods is as old as the history of human social development itself. It forms an invisible layer that changes, shifts and expands

as new relationships, routes and platforms facilitate the movement of people, goods but also ideas.

From the design of future cities to the development of national and regional infrastructure for travel and trade, new policies, research and innovation efforts are transforming how we move.

From the legend of Icarus to our latest feats of space exploration, human progress has been symbolised by advances in transport and other forms of mobility.

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Digital connectivity is mapping out new ways in which mobility shapes our societies, economies and environment. It is a realm where intangibles become tangible, and physical items are de-materialised. Digital communications eliminates barriers between material and immaterial, creating new ways to access people, services and new experiences.

Mobility is about more than movement. It is about creating the bridge to opportunity as we scale the benefits of progress to more people, faster.

05. Mobility

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FACT

Shipping is responsible for about 90 per cent of global trade, while airfreight has grown 14-fold in the past 40 years, compared to a threefold growth of the world economy.

Safer, smarter and cleaner modes of transport will take us further and faster with decreasing environmental impacts. Technologies are already converging to provide less energy-hungry cars, trains and planes, ships and other vessels as construction materials become sturdier and lighter and alternative power sources supplant the internal combustion engine.

Advances in robotics and human-machine interfaces will enable those constrained by disabilities to walk and run, while smart interactive technologies will augment sensory perceptions, enabling individuals to explore familiar or new locations without leaving their homes.

Our logistics systems have become smarter and more resilient. Real-time data from satellites and sensors allows for route optimisation and effective responses to unforeseen disruptions.

Our remarkable networks of data, signals and hardware continue to evolve, further reshaping information and communication technologies. On the journey to 2020 and beyond, the Internet of Things will transform the cities and places we inhabit, making them increasingly more connected and smarter. Information will be channelled through everyday objects, expanding our ability to communicate with each other and to interact with the physical world in multilingual, multichannel and multidimensional ways. Global communications technologies are creating a new virtual dimension for both physical objects and the services we traditionally sourced from

specific locations. The technological changes will go hand to hand with innovations in business models around sharing economies while new policies and regulations will emerge as new modes of travel become the norm.

05. Mobility

Innovation

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Inclusion

05. Mobility

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As low-cost solutions linked to mobile communications, nano-satellites or drones become increasingly available, many communities around the world will be able to overcome physical barriers and leapfrog towards new possibilities. As we become increasingly reliant on personal mobility, we need to design safe and environmentally friendly solutions for as many people as possible. Secure and age-appropriate solutions and transportation systems will respond to the needs of different types of individuals and demographics: from the young who require reliable transportation linked to their education and development, to the elderly wishing to maintain their independence.

In addition, developments in communication and information technologies, automotive power engineering, and composite materials will further unlock potential opportunities.

Mobility has the power to reach people and connect them to the workplace, to other businesses, to schools, to hospitals and to vital goods such as foods and medicine. Innovations in mobility can connect communities to communities, facilitating the sharing of ideas and information.

Understanding

05. Mobility

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Mobility has diverse, distinct and profound cultural meanings from the varying perspectives of different individuals and societies.

For nomadic cultures, it is a way of life; for millions of migrants fleeing hardship, it reflects the hope for a better future; for traders travelling routes of commerce, mobility is a means to prosperity and knowledge; and for many others seeking new experiences, it expands their personal and cultural horizons.

Building the connections that are enabled by travel and digital communication helps us remove our human divides and celebrate people’s identity, culture and creative contributions to the future.

Questions for the Future

• Will your children have a driver licence?

• How many drone-related jobs can you think of?

• Who will design your driverless experience?

• How many places are there left to explore?

• What is next frontier for fuel?

05. Mobility

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Areas of focus

Exploring the means, modes and infrastructure

of movement.

Transportation Personal MobilityTravel and Exploration Logistics Digital Connectivity

Reaching new frontiers through exploration,

knowledge, and the quest for opportunity.

Developing smarter, more efficient, and sustainable

systems for moving physical goods as well

as critical resources.

Empowering people’s movement, overcoming

disability, and urban access.

Blurring boundaries between the physical and the virtual world to create new ways

to access information, services, and experiences.

05. Mobility

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Every generation is responsible for safeguarding the world for generations to come. Sustainability calls for a commitment to understand and nurture the bonds that connect people, society and habitats and to find new paths to prosperity that can lead to a viable future.

Sustainability touches the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the places we inhabit and explores how we connect to them in a way that protects and enhances our most valuable planetary resources.

Access and management of natural resources and ecosystems has been pivotal to our livelihoods and tightly linked to employment and economic growth. Our resources fuel our livelihoods and without them we could not have the innovations in industry, health, transportation and communications that continue to improve the lives of millions.

However, our extraordinary success as a species is now tipping the balance between what humanity requires to shape its future, and what the earth can naturally supply and absorb.

Humanity no longer influences only local environments in limited ways. Our impact on the earth’s dynamic systems can rival the powers of nature. Humanity has become the predominant driver of change at the planetary level, and a biophysical force to reckon with, to the point that the term Antropocene (“the era of humans”) is now defining the geological time we live in.

Whether built or natural, we must ensure that tomorrow’s habitats continue to thrive with life and opportunity: natural ecosystems with their complex interactions between soil, water, flora and fauna; and our cities – large and small – as centres that generate the opportunities underpinning human development.

Embracing Sustainability06. Sustainability

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As we expand our understanding of our collective responsibility towards our living planet and develop technologies, solutions and policies to mitigate or even rebalance our negative influences, we face exciting new prospects. Approaching 2020, the future of our planet will increasingly be shaped by our design and engineering capabilities. We have the potential to accelerate the shift away from a consumption-based paradigm

to a knowledge-based service economy; redesign the manufacturing, transportation and consumption of goods, and the disposal of waste; imagine and implement new models for a circular, sustainable economy. Doing more with less is an important guiding principle that can empower us to create more opportunity, facilitate greater mobility, and ensure sustainability.

These vitally important opportunities transcend borders and require us to mobilise our complementary skills to find creative solutions to urgent challenges. In light of the forces now shaping our world, connecting our minds to create a sustainable future has never been more important, calling for a collective engagement in which everyone has a key part to play.

06. Sustainability

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FACT

At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. (United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity)

Innovation

06. Sustainability

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At the centre of innovation for sustainability there will be our cities and built habitats, where collaboration across different domains of innovation such as technology, architecture, culture and biology, can create digitally smart, culturally rich and ecologically healthy cities flooded with clean energy, healthy and sustainable food, and harmonious interactions between natural and built spaces.

Working within the parameters of what our planet can naturally supply, we will manage the critical nexus of energy, water and food more effectively and see new approaches to agriculture and food production; affordable and environmentally sound means to desalinate water; far more efficient and scalable sources of clean and renewable

energy. Deeper insights into natural systems will allow us to adopt ‘biomimicry’ and design artificial systems inspired by nature.

Designing systems intended to be future-proof will encourage us to think about the lifecycle and durability of products: from the raw materials, energy and water needed to make them, to ways in which they can be repaired, repurposed or recycled. Design of closed-loop systems where waste provides resources for production could become the norm rather than the exception.

Recognising that today, much of the impact of human activity arises from the way we conceive, manufacture, distribute, consume, and dispose of goods, we will see major innovations in designs, fabrications and processes.

Inclusion

06. Sustainability

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With more people contributing to the global economy, we will require sustainable approaches involving policy, technology and business models leveraging the power of renewable resources and the principles of circular economy.

Alongside technological innovation, we need economic and social solutions to expand access to vital resources to more people and communities around the world. The Sustainable Development Goals, which reflect a global sustainability consensus, will be a powerful engine to mobilize and inspire new partnerships and approaches to inclusive and sustainable growth.

The survival of our communities depends on sustainable access to water, energy and food.Moving towards 2050, population growth, rising consumption and environmental changes will impact increasingly on our economies, societies and environments.

Creating resilient economic systems requires us to evaluate the hidden social and environmental costs of the excessive use and misallocation of scarce resources, as well as overconsumption and waste. Only when we can calculate the costs realistically, will we develop sustainable business models and marketing practices.

At the same time, while technology will give us new tools to design a sustainable future, learning from traditional practices is equally important. As repositories of knowledge, traditional cultures can help us achieve sustainability by designing for functionality and durability without compromising aesthetics, or creating excessive impact

on the environment. Traditional techniques are adapted to local climates, cultures and materials, and extract the most with the least, responding to changing needs by using local talent. Tradition can also inspire designs that enrich social relations, better integrating the needs of the young and elderly in dynamic, resilient communities. This thinking spills over our usage of technology and the longevity of our digital systems.

As we entrust the knowledge of our civilisation to our computers and store it into the virtual dimensions, we need to ensure that the information we value remains safe, accessible, usable and available for centuries to come.

Understanding how we are impacting natural systems, and how we can best integrate their workings with our needs and those of the planet is a critical part of the planning the future.When it comes to sustainability, understanding and valuing the hidden connections that weave together the fabric of life is paramount to preserving healthy ecosystems.

Understanding

06. Sustainability

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Questions for the Future

• How much can you learn from nature?

• What is the value of natural capital?

• Where in nature can you find the cure for cancer?

• Can you engineer climate?

• What will your future source of proteins be?

06. Sustainability

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Areas of focus

Understanding, enhancing, and protecting the earth’s

diverse ecosystems.

Sustainable Cities and Built Habitats

Managing existing resources effectivelyand efficiently, while

discovering new ones.

Mitigating and managing the effects of climate

change through innovations, policies, and best practices.

Designing sustainable urban environments that support healthy

communities.

Developing new principles and metrics for sustainable

economies.

Natural Ecosystems and Biodiversity Resources Climate Change Green Economy

06. Sustainability

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Bringing the Theme to Life

07. Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai aims to bring the theme to life across its entire 250 hectare site, which is designed to create impressive and memorable experiences that will delight, educate, provoke, and inspire visitors of all ages. The event will showcase some of the most exciting topics and developments around the world and in the UAE, addressing key challenges and exploring outstanding achievements.

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