With the objective to reinforce cooperation with Japan and enhance its global visibility, the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce successfully concluded a high-impact economic programme in the framework of its participation in Expo 2025 Osaka. With three Official Trade Missions, the economic programme contributed to delivering a clear message: Luxembourg’s openness for business, innovation and collaboration. The Expo 2025 Osaka was a gateway to Japan and the World!
As with all of Luxembourg’s involvement with Universal Exhibitions, the Chamber of Commerce set up a large economic programme for Luxembourg companies. For Expo 2025 Osaka, which took place on Yumeshima Island, an artificial island in Osaka Bay (Osaka Prefecture/Kansai region), under the theme Designing Future Society for Our Lives, the three Official Trade Missions to Japan were carefully aligned with Luxembourg’s strategic priorities and areas of shared interest with Japan. The programme successfully fulfilled its dual objective: strengthening economic ties with Japan and capitalising on the international reach of the Expo.
“Luxembourg had an exceptional six-month presence at Expo 2025 Osaka. Our Pavilion was a true reflection of the country’s international openness and innovative spirit, built on strong sustainable values and enhanced by its futuristic design. Beyond cultural and technological showcase, the Expo served as a platform to position Luxembourg as a forward-thinking, collaborative, and competitive partner on the global stage.”
[ Daniel Sahr, Deputy Commissioner General / Director of the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka ]
Each mission incorporated visits to iconic (representative of the Japanese economy) Japanese companies that allowed Luxembourg participants to explore cutting-edge innovations while showcasing their own expertise and solutions. These immersive experiences were complemented by targeted B2B meetings, enabling Luxembourg companies to engage directly with Japanese companies.
The programme also included a variety of country and thematic pavilions, gaining insights into global trends and fostering cross-border connections.
This well-orchestrated programme was the result of a collaborative effort between key partners including the Chamber of Commerce, the Luxembourg Trade & Investment Office in Tokyo, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Ministry of the Economy, and Luxinnovation – a testament to Luxembourg’s unified approach to presenting its best at the Expo 2025 Osaka.
The Official Trade Missions gathered companies and institutions to engage with Japanese counterparts, explore collaboration, and showcase Luxembourg’s competitive advantages as a gateway to Europe.
“Our participation was a collective achievement made possible through the strong collaboration among all partners of our ecosystem. As a proud partner of the Expo Osaka EIG, the Chamber of Commerce played a key role in driving the economic programme forward, showcasing Luxembourg’s strengths whilst generating new business opportunities for our companies".
[ Fernand Ernster, President, Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce ]
Economic Relations Between Luxembourg and Japan
Japan is the world’s fourth largest economy (by nominal GDP), and Luxembourg’s third most important trading partner in Asia.
Its global leadership in technologies of tomorrow makes it a strategic market for Luxembourg, particularly in ICT, space, and healthtech.
Bilateral trade
In 2024, the exports of goods from Luxembourg to Japan was €55,8 millions, while the imports from Japan was €361,4 millions.
In term of services Luxembourg exported €911 millions to Japan while imports of services from Japan amounted to €238 millions (Statec).
“With Japan ranking among Luxembourg’s top trading partners in Asia and bilateral trade volumes steadily increasing, we are committed to deepening collaboration within Japan’s high-tech ecosystem. We aim to build long-term partnerships that go far beyond traditional trade, fostering knowledge exchange, and sustainable economic growth. To ensure tangible impact, we will launch a tailored follow-up programme for participating companies next year, providing support and guidance to help them overcome challenges and fully capitalise on the connections initiated during the Expo.”
[ Carlo Thelen, CEO/Director General, Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce ]
Looking ahead
The Economic programme to Osaka marked another milestone in Luxembourg’s strategic outreach to Asia. Beyond numbers and meetings, it showcased Luxembourg’s innovative spirit, collaborative mindset, and long-term vision for sustainable economic growth.
As we look back, we have laid the groundwork for future partnerships that will continue to bridge Luxembourg and Japan – across sectors, borders, and ideas.
Looking ahead: in 2027 the centennial of Luxembourg – Japan diplomatic relations present a significant opportunity to build on this momentum.
Missions accomplished!
This diversified and varied programme notably covered :
- 1 multisectoral Mission in the framework of the Luxembourg Day (May 2025) which It included business meetings and visits to iconic Japanese companies such as Fujitsu Technology Hall and Amazon Japan, with the highlight being Luxembourg Day attended by HRH the Grand Duke.
- 1 Space Mission (July 2025), which took place from July 12 to 18. It highlighted Luxembourg’s space ambitions during the Space Afternoon co-organized with the LSA and included visits to iSpace and CarbonFly.
- 1 Tech & Health Mission (July 2025), which promoted exchanges on medical technologies and robotics, particularly during visits to JCR Pharmaceuticals and the Osaka Heavy Ion Therapy Center.
- 1 Luxembourg Day
- 3 cities covered: Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto
- 95 companies and 18 institutions totalling 160 participants
- Over 78 B2B meetings
- 13+ company visits in the areas of tech, space and health
- 65 official visits (high-ranking officials, ministries, ambassadors, etc.)
Interesting Facts
- Luxembourg @ Expo 2025 Osaka marks its 25th participation in a World Expo.
- The pavilion Doki Doki – The Luxembourg Heartbeat was conceived according to strong principles of circularity: reduce, reuse, recycle. For example, the roof membrane will be repurposed into bags and accessories by a Japanese brand.
- The Luxembourg Pavilion’s circular concept was recognised during the Ceremony of Prizes and Awards held on the occasion of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Day at the Expo. The BIE Sustainability Award was presented to the Luxembourg Pavilion in the category of self-built pavilions with a surface area under 1.500 m².
- 378.000 : number of Luxembourg Pavillon visitors.
