Expo 2020 may have come to an end. But its legacy will live with us for a long time. I am not just talking about the future of the Expo 2020 site, District 2020, evolving the area into a smart and sustainable city. I am not just talking about the incredible impact that it has had on the UAE, driving world-leading speakers to the nation to exchange knowledge and learnings with leading Emirati talent. I am talking about its long-term legacy in enabling global collaboration among world-leading figures from across industries, from music, to technology, to food security, to sustainability, and more.
Take Northern Ireland’s experience at Expo 2020. Across the six months, we have had the pleasure of welcoming some of Northern Ireland’s most pre-eminent minds to see how innovation and expertise from Northern Ireland can benefit global communities, and vice versa.
As a part of the United Kingdom’s platform, we showcased all that we have to offer the world, and at the same time, learning from what the world can offer us.
As Northern Ireland, we were able to contribute across a prestigious range of high-level discussion panels across diverse sectors.
For instance, we were delighted to welcome world-renowned expert in food security, Professor Chris Elliot from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast and the Director of the Institute for Global Food Safety.
Chris highlighted the significance of food integrity across the food system, demonstrating the need for our cuisine to be safe, nutritious, and sustainable all at the same time.
Deva Senevirathne, shared her journey of starting up AI healthcare company, Sonrai Analytics, while studying for her PhD in Northern Ireland. Deva spoke on how one can develop entrepreneurial skills, the importance of being willing to fail, and the key role that universities play in helping inspire the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Additionally, Jim McLaughlin from the University of Ulster gave insights on the miniaturisation of medical machines. Technology, which just a few years ago seemed to be in the realms of science fiction, is creating new treatments and diagnoses. Jim discussed how the smallest kinds of nanotechnology are set to have a massive impact on the healthcare sciences.
That’s just a small sample of speakers from Northern Ireland who spoke across Expo 2020, each bringing rich, rousing, and thought-provoking discussions to an incredible global community.
The learning opportunities presented during Expo 2020 were immense. Students from across the globe benefitted from the immense variety of topics discussed throughout the six months period. The opportunities for knowledge exchange between students in the UAE and from across the globe were extensive.
During Expo 2020, two students from Northern Ireland were able to travel to Dubai to test their debating skills and learn from others from around the world. That impact, extrapolated across thousands of students who came to the UAE, will leave a resounding footprint.
And that does not include the phenomenal cultural impact of this mega event. Hundreds of artists brought their international creative traditions into Dubai.
From Northern Ireland, we were proud to partner with Lowden Guitars, who construct handmade acoustic guitars used by musicians including Ed Sheeran. In fact, Ed loves their guitars so much that he and Lowden have worked together to produce the Sheeran by Lowden range of guitars.
Lowden Guitars launched the ‘Take the Stage’ competition, in which unsigned UK artists and bands competed to perform on Expo 2020’s main stage. Two artists from Northern Ireland, Conor Marcus and Nicha, both appeared at Expo 2020 during UK Day in February, having won the competition.
Being able to share our own national culture, and celebrate the cultures of others, was a core element of Expo 2020, and will be a core part of its legacy. I felt that during Northern Ireland day, held on 16th February. We took over the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 and were proud to showcase to global audiences the heritage, the innovation, the warmth, and the culture that pulsates at the very heart of Northern Ireland.
We celebrated leading figures from Northern Ireland, including George Best, Sir James Galway, and recent Oscar winner Sir Kenneth Branagh. We also highlighted the innovations that Northern Ireland has produced, from splitting the atom, to the modern tractor, to the Kelvin scale – and even the penalty kick. We drew together the diaspora of Northern Ireland in Dubai, holding business panels throughout the day and an evening celebration at the UK pavilion.
For me, Northern Ireland day summed up the magic that Expo 2020 managed to capture. We were able to showcase to visitors from every corner of the globe what Northern Ireland was proud about. The thriving culture that makes Northern Ireland tick.
How cutting-edge innovation is charting Northern Ireland’s course for the future. And that was just one day. Across 182 days, over 20 million people, from all four corners of the compass, explored and discovered 192 cultures and traditions. In Expo 2020, Dubai has created a legacy that will be truly indelible.
Swathi Sri, Head of Territory – India, Middle East and Africa at Invest Northern Ireland.
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