This week, the Czech Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka became a vibrant centre of innovation in lasers, photonics, and space research. It served not only as a meeting point for experts, research institutions, and high-tech companies, but also as a platform for shaping a shared vision of the future of these technologies.
Amidst hundreds of thousands of visitors, the Czech Pavilion proved to be an ideal space for discussing the society of tomorrow – with photonics, the science of light, playing a central role in that conversation.
Czech–Japanese partnerships at the forefront
Special thanks are due to our Japanese partners – the Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, the Graduate School of Engineering, and KPSI – National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) – as well as to our Czech partners – Rigaku Innovative Technologies Europe s.r.o., the HiLASE Centre, the Czech Optical Cluster, SQS Vlaknová optika a.s., IQS nano, CactuX s.r.o., CEITEC – and of course to the team of the Czech National Pavilion, led by Ondřej Soška, for their outstanding organisational support.
This cooperation demonstrates that the Czech and Japanese scientific and technological communities stand side by side at the forefront of global trends in laser science and its applications.
A milestone Memorandum of Understanding
A highlight of the programme was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ELI – Extreme Light Infrastructure and Osaka University (Graduate School of Engineering).
This agreement opens new opportunities for:
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strengthening the Japanese community’s access to and use of ELI facilities,
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expanding mobility opportunities for early-career researchers,
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advancing joint technology development in lasers and photonics.
The signature of this memorandum represents not only a shared vision for the future of high-power lasers, but also a firm commitment to accelerate innovation together across continents.
A shared vision for 2040
EXPO 2025 in Osaka provided the perfect setting to present Vision 2040 – a vision of a world where photonics and laser technologies shape new opportunities for science, industry, and space applications.
Together, the Czech Republic and Japan are sending a clear message: the future is being created today – and light is its driving force.
