Partners
Partners of exposition
![NAFIGATE Corporation a. s.](/2015/assets/images/partners/nafigate.png)
NAFIGATE Corporation a. s.
NAFIGATE Corporation brings together experts in the field of science to build a global centre of excellence that aims to transfer hi-tech products and innovative technologies. The company brings projects focusing on the development of new generation energy-saving nanofiber membranes for water and air cleaning technologies, for the textile industry and batteries to the global market.
Another key activity of NAFIGATE Corporation is the transfer of Hydal biotechnology, which utilises used cooking oil for the production of PHA biopolymer. The first pilot production line and plant is being built in Suzhou, China.
NAFIGATE Corporation commissioned the artistic monument by Lukáš Rittstein in the Czech pavilion, which expresses the link between science and technology and nature and life. It also expresses the company’s vision: to build a better future using the best technologies – with clean air and water, and a world free of synthetic plastics. The artistic monument is accompanied by an exhibit presenting water treatment technology using a nanofiber membrane.
![Institute of Experimental Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic](/2015/assets/images/partners/ueb.png)
Institute of Experimental Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
The Institute of Experimental Botany (IEB) is an institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic whose primary mission is basic research. It is engaged in experimental research in the field of plant biology. Prof. Jaroslav Doležel has developed a number of original procedures in his laboratory that have significantly enhanced our knowledge of plant genetic information.
A contribution of global importance is chromosome sorting using flow cytometry, which facilitated the ability to read the complex genetic code of wheat and other economically important crops. The laboratory’s contribution to deciphering the genetic code of wheat is presented in the Czech pavilion at Expo 2015 in the form of an art exhibit created by Federico Diáz titled “Subliminal“. The exhibit will be accompanied by an artistic document presenting the road to achieving these scientific results.
![Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic](/2015/assets/images/partners/uochb.png)
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
From its very foundation sixty years ago, the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic was built on an unusual concept – to examine important aspects of living nature in detail from both a purely chemical perspective, as well as the biological perspective of physiology, biochemistry and medicine. These two lines of research continue to complement and inspire each other.
The IOCB has prepared an exhibition for the Czech pavilion that is part of the Laboratory of Life. It shows visitors how lifestyle (civilisation) diseases develop, but, above all, points out that most of us are personally responsible for our health. And where, for whatever reason, personal responsibility fails, science – research, development and application – work in the laboratory, steps in.
![BLOCK, a. s.](/2015/assets/images/partners/block.png)
BLOCK, a. s.
Since its very foundation, BLOCK® has focused on providing comprehensive services in the field of project preparation, production, construction and follow-up service for investment units with demanding technologies and high quality environments (clean rooms).
It is characterised as an engineering-oriented company with a strong architectural and design department, and an experienced group of technicians, technologists and engineers for the execution of demanding projects. The company’s activities also include quality service and maintenance of clean rooms and air-conditioning, heating, cooling, measurement and control systems.
BLOCK will be presenting an isolator at the Czech pavilion, a device used, for example, in the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, special chemistry or electrical engineering. The isolator has been uniquely designed and is the only one of its kind in the world. It consists of two chambers connected by a tunnel, which is used in practice to transfer material between the individual chambers. However, the function of the isolator at EXPO is merely aesthetic and it will accentuate the environment of the Laboratory of Life. A work of art will be installed inside the isolator.
![Bioveta, a. s.](/2015/assets/images/partners/bioveta.png)
Bioveta, a. s.
Bioveta, based in Ivanovice na Hané, is a dynamic, modern pharmaceutical company manufacturing high quality, safe and effective veterinary products. The company has approximately 180 types of products designed for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases of farm and domestic animals.
The most important group of products are vaccines and hormone preparations. Bioveta sells its products in more than 80 countries worldwide. In 2014, the company’s total revenues exceeded one billion crowns. The company employs nearly 600 people.
Bioveta has prepared a presentation as part of the Laboratory of Life through a work of art – a piece by academic sculptor, Lukáš Rittstein. The sculpture represents a horse with a bird on its back and a dog by its feet. The piece also includes a modern rendition of the snake from the staff of Aesculapius in bas-relief. The sculptural group is elongated into a collar shape and symbolises the connection between animals and veterinary medicine.
![Prague Zoological Gardens](/2015/assets/images/partners/zoo-praha.png)
Prague Zoological Gardens
Prague Zoo keeps more than six hundred species of animals and welcomes almost 1.4 million visitors each year. It is the second most frequently visited tourist destination in the Czech Republic after Prague Castle. As a modern and leading institution of its kind, it creates optimal conditions for the animals, both in the concept and creation of enclosures and quarters and in the assembly of single or multi-species groups.
Visitors can thus see how these animals live and their ties to the environment, and animals have the opportunity to develop the widest possible range of their natural behaviours.
Prague Zoo has put together a presentation at EXPO 2015 with the help of artist, Jakub Nepraš. Nepraš’s e-Bolid, an object resembling an asteroid, is installed on the roof of the Czech pavilion and combines game-play elements for children and adults with eye-catching visual material. People will discover an animated environment with details of selected animal species inside several openings delving into the interior of the object.
Regional partners
![Pilsen Region](/2015/assets/images/partners/plzensky-kraj.png)
Pilsen Region
World Expo 2015 Milano will be taking place in the same year that the regional city of Pilsen holds the title of European Capital of Culture. 2015 will therefore be an opportunity for Pilsen to show why beers around the world are called “pils”, or where Chodov kolaches are made. A small taste of the best visitors will see throughout the year in Pilsen will be presented at EXPO.
The Pilsen Region’s exhibition will show visitors the best of what the region has to offer. The main exhibit will be a set of hanging pictures on the themes of architecture, culture, puppetry, folklore and beer. Some pictures will be developed into augmented reality, which visitors will be able to run using an application on a borrowed tablet. The exhibition will be complemented by an exhibit of puppets, beer and traditional glass. All of which will be underscored by the world-famous tradition of brewing.
![Moravian-Silesian Region](/2015/assets/images/partners/moravskoslezsky-kraj.png)
Moravian-Silesian Region
The Moravian-Silesian Region is largely an industrial region characterised by coal mining and the production of export-quality steel. In the past, it was called the “steel heart of the republic”. The antithesis to industry is the beautiful countryside with 3 protected landscape areas (Jeseníky, Beskydy and Poodří), which are all ideal for tourism and sport.
The Moravian-Silesian Region will be presented by a regional, interactive exhibit symbolising the god, Radegast, bearing industrial elements. The exhibit will combine several elements (a combination of techniques, images and sounds) corresponding to the overall concept of the exhibition, which is mainly science and education. The final exhibit will be something reminiscent of a larger than life robot, or a kind of jukebox, gaming machine or polyphone. Several touch screens will be located on the body of the exhibit, playing a film with information about the Moravian-Silesian Region and the revitalisation of the Dolní Vítkovice complex.
![South Moravian Region](/2015/assets/images/partners/jihomoravsky-kraj.png)
South Moravian Region
The South Moravian Region is the sunniest and warmest region in the Czech Republic; this is why 96% of the vineyards in the Czech Republic are located in the Moravian wine region. The South Moravian Region and Brno will be presented at EXPO 2015 not only as an interesting tourist area, or traditional wine-growing region and the venue of the Moto GP, but, above all, as a strong region in the field of science, research, innovation and cutting-edge technologies.
The region’s exhibition will include a projection screen on entry (with general information about the city of Brno, the South Moravian Region and the concept of the installation), 3 interactive stands with hanging eyepieces (where the visitor becomes a researcher and innovator, with a choice of three areas of scientific activity: genetic experiments, melting of the Antarctic ice, and water treatment), display cases showing the various water treatment processes and a bioreactor, which consists of a set of glass cylinders in which water flows and algae develops.
![Karlovy Vary Region](/2015/assets/images/partners/karlovarsky-kraj.png)
Karlovy Vary Region
For more than 650 years, the region has been synonymous with spa treatment based on the exploitation of natural resources such as thermal and cold mineral springs, mud, bogs and gases. The region is not only home to our most famous spa, Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), but also other important spa cities.
Important local products of world renown have always been Moser glass, Becherovka and porcelain from the Thun Nová Role or Leander Loučky porcelain factories.
The presentation of the Karlovy Vary Region has been prepared as a strong visual experience mediated by new media, but at the same time, it will be a sensory exhibit acting on the visitor’s emotions through all their senses. The main concept of the exhibition is water as a life-giving fluid. The analogy can be seen in Karlovy Vary, where water is a source of health and the source of the spa city’s fame. The symbol of water or spa treatment will appear in most of the exhibits.
![Vysočina Region](/2015/assets/images/partners/kraj-vysocina.png)
Vysočina Region
Although the Vysočina Region as an entity does not have a long tradition, it has a well-developed network of modern services and quality infrastructure. The regional economy relies on industrial manufacturing in fields such as mechanical engineering, the automotive industry and electrical engineering, which includes numerous companies with a long history and new companies built on green-fields. The well-developed food industry ties into intensive agriculture, and especially livestock production in the region.
The Vysočina Region will be presented in an interactive, playful and dynamic exhibition, whose two basic elements are light and glass. Light will be shown from a dual perspective, as a means of presentation and discovery and as an example of the current design of automotive headlights developed and manufactured in the region, or as an example of modern, designer lighting. Lighting also relates to the traditional craft of glassmaking in the Vysočina Region, which is represented by a collection of designer glass.
![Ústí Region](/2015/assets/images/partners/ustecky-kraj.png)
Ústí Region
The Ústí Region is best known for its mineral resources and industry. Mining in Krušné Hory and brown coal mining in Most are traditional activities in the region. In contrast, the unique volcanic landscape of České středohoří (Bohemian Central Uplands) between the Ohře and Elbe Rivers is suitable for agriculture.
Wine-making, hop and fruit growing are also important in the region. The history of settlement in České Švýcarsko is linked to glass and textile manufacturing.
The region’s permanent exhibition will include the typical motifs of hops and wine, as well as glass and artistic production. Water sources will be represented by Bílinská kyselka. The production of casts of the hands of famous Czech and international personalities will be presented as a unique, modern technology. As part of regional days, visitors will be acquainted with regional products, as well personalities characterising the common history of the Ústí and North Italian Region.
Exclusive partners
![DB Schenker](/2015/assets/images/partners/db-schenker.png)
DB Schenker
This year, logistics company DB Schenker became the official carrier of the Czech Republic’s participation in the World Expo 2015. DB Schenker has extensive experience in trade fair transport, preparing trade fairs and the transportation of valuable exhibits worldwide.
Five years ago, the company handled the transportation of exhibits, equipping exhibits and promotional and gift items at the previous Expo 2010, which was held in Shanghai, China.
![KOMA Modular s.r.o.](/2015/assets/images/partners/koma.png)
KOMA Modular s.r.o.
KOMA Modular - the leader in modular construction. KOMA is the synonym for Czech modular construction with an emphasis on innovative approaches, research and close collaboration with architects and designers. KOMA currently belongs to the most progressive European companies in the field of modular architecture and has on its credit the construction of the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2015 in Milan.
Among the unique KOMA products belong the large-size low-energy modules Comfort or an atypical design module CITY of a trapezoidal shape designed for the recovery of public space in cities and towns. In addition, the company also focuses on humanitarian actions and social projects. Its mission is to help people and enrich the world.
![Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s.](/2015/assets/images/partners/pilsner-urquell.png)
Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s.
Plzeňský Prazdroj was founded and built through the joint efforts of the brewing burghers of Pilsen in 1842. The Burghers’ Brewery in Pilsen subsequently brewed the first batch of bottom-fermented lager, which conquered the world under the name of Pilsner Urquell and gave its name to one type of beer – Pils.
Plzeňský Prazdroj is a major producer and exporter of Czech beer, which is brewed at four breweries, at Plzeňský Prazdroji and Gambrinus in Pilsen, at Radegast in Nošovice and at the Velké Popovice brewery in Central Bohemia. Plzeňský Prazdroj exports beer to more than fifty countries worldwide.
SABMiller, the owner of Plzeňský Prazdroj, will supply Pilsner Urquell tank beer to bars in the Czech pavilion in refrigerated containers directly from the Pilsen brewery. Tank beer will be presented to Italian fans of this golden brew for the first time.
![Segafredo Zanetti CR](/2015/assets/images/partners/segafredo.png)
Segafredo Zanetti CR
Segafredo Zanetti CR, the leading supplier of coffee to the gastronomic industry, is part of an international concern founded and owned by Massimo Zanetti. The company celebrated 20 years on the Czech market last year and through its dynamic activity and wide range of professional Italian coffee technology, it has significantly contributed to the fact that Italian espresso and other Italian coffee specialities have taken a permanent place at the forefront of menus at Czech gastronomic establishments.
Aside from supplying premium coffee beans, Segafredo Zanetti CR also offers a complete service in the form of the sale or hire of professional coffee technology, its installation, regular maintenance, but above all, professional training of personnel at its barista school, which has been completed by more than 2,500 graduates since 2006. There are three gastronomic facilities at the Czech pavilion equipped with professional coffee technology on which baristas will prepare espresso and other coffee specialities.
![Karlovarské minerální vody, a.s.](/2015/assets/images/partners/mattoni.png)
Karlovarské minerální vody, a.s.
Karlovarské minerální vody (KMV) is one of the largest producers of mineral and spring water in Central Europe. In addition to traditional Mattoni mineral water, KMV also produces Aquila spring water and Magnesia mineral water.
The company was founded in 1873 by Karlovy Vary native, Heinrich Mattoni, an enterprising and ambitious man with Italian roots. It is therefore more than symbolic that today’s Karlovarské minerální vody received a new lease of life in the 1990s with a major investment by the Italian Pasqual family, the company’s new owners with a clear strategic vision.
KMV is the official supplier of beverages to the Czech pavilion, where it is also presenting its partnership in the PET MAT project. This is a research project developed by the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University dealing with the further use of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a material for building units.
Partners of pavilion
![LAUFEN CZ, s.r.o.](/2015/assets/images/partners/jika.png)
LAUFEN CZ, s.r.o.
Laufen CZ encompasses the brands LAUFEN, ROCA and JIKA on the Czech market. The product range of all these brands includes complete bathrooms – sanitary ware, tiles, bathroom furniture, bathtubs and shower trays, shower enclosures, bath screens, taps and bathroom accessories.
The extensive JIKA product portfolio is manufactured in the Czech Republic, at factories in Znojmo and Bechyně.
In its permanent exhibition, Laufen CZ will present JIKA ART products, which were created in collaboration with young designers and show the possible future development of bathroom ceramics. The weekly exhibition will focus on environmental issues and emphasise water saving when using taps and flushing. It will present JIKA water-saving toilets, whose flushing systems were designed with respect for nature.
![LASVIT, s.r.o.](/2015/assets/images/partners/lasvit.png)
LASVIT, s.r.o.
Glass and design company, Lasvit is a leading manufacturer and supplier of unique light installations and glass art sculptures that combine the traditional art of Czech glassmaking with modern technologies.
The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Nový Bor. Lasvit currently has ten branches in Europe, Asia and the USA and employs more than 350 people. The company’s annual turnover is around one billion crowns.
Lasvit will present a unique, kinetic sculpture by leading designer, Maxim Velčovský at the Czech pavilion. The original light installation uses the concept of optic fibres and is based on the main theme of EXPO 2015, which is “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. Maxim Velčovský is also the author of the designer light fixtures and light panels, Frozen, which are installed in the main bar, and the original light fixtures specially created for the restaurant in the Czech pavilion.
![CHYBIK+KRISTOF Associated Architects s.r.o.](/2015/assets/images/partners/chkaa.png)
CHYBIK+KRISTOF Associated Architects s.r.o.
CHYBIK+KRISTOF Associated Architects is an international studio based in Brno, which was founded in 2010. The studio works in the fields of architecture, urban planning and landscape design. The studio has two main architects – Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof.
Studio projects have been published in domestic and international architectural publications and exhibitions. The studio has received a number of awards in architectural competitions.
CHYBIK+KRISTOF Associated Architects are the authors of the architectural design of the Czech pavilion. The pavilion is designed as a gallery located in a pool of water that is cleaned using the same nano-technological concept applied in developing countries to purify drinking water. At the same time, the architects designed the pavilion as a sustainable solution using KOMA MODULAR s.r.o. modules, which can be easily disassembled and transported back to the Czech Republic. The pavilion and investment in its construction will therefore not be transitory, and the pavilion will continue to serve after the exhibition ends.
![Sportakcent spol. s r.o.](/2015/assets/images/partners/sportakcent.png)
Sportakcent spol. s r.o.
For more than 20 years, Sportakcent has been specialising in the design, supply and service of pool technology and water attractions. The company supplies complete swimming pool and recreational packages from family and private solutions to entire aqua parks and outdoor public pools.
It offers customers all services from initial consultation through design concepts, preparation of all levels of project documentation, to actual delivery and subsequent maintenance of the pool or relaxation complex.
Sportakcent supplied the Czech pavilion with the aesthetic and functional elements of the outdoor pool and technology, which will accentuate the uniqueness of the pavilion for the duration of EXPO 2015 and offer visitors a refreshing dip during hot summer days in Milan. The pool also acts as a base complementing the art work by Lukáš Rittstein installed above the water surface.
![Contiqua s. r. o.](/2015/assets/images/partners/contiqua.png)
Contiqua s. r. o.
Contiqua innovates industrial manufacturing through design. Every industrial process generates leftover material that cannot be further used in the process and which, at best, ends as waste in landfills or at incineration plants. Considering the limited resources of today’s world, it is essential to use these resources with forethought. Taking up this challenge, Contiqua designs new products that effectively utilise these leftover materials.
Contiqua designed the Infinite Light fixtures for the Czech pavilion, which are based on an ecological idea (they are made from “waste” – from reflective foil used for traffic signs), and fit the concept of the pavilion with their organic shape.
![LESY ČR, s. p. (Czech Forestry Commission)](/2015/assets/images/partners/lesy-cr.png)
LESY ČR, s. p. (Czech Forestry Commission)
Lesy České republiky manages a large part of the state forests owned by the Czech Republic, utilising an area of approximately 48% of the forests in the Czech Republic. It strives for exemplary management in the forestry sector, while respecting the principles of sustainable management.
In practice, this reflects the company’s balanced approach to the production, environmental and social aspects of forest management.
Lesy ČR wishes to present wood as the only renewable raw material used in the construction of structures that serve the general public at the Czech pavilion. The exhibit will present a 3D model of the wooden footbridge at Veveří near Brno and Brno Reservoir, which were awarded Wooden Structure of the Year 2011. The presentation will also include films, electronic interactive applications and for 5 days, active communication with Italian young adults as part of forestry education days.
![VEBA, textilní závody a.s.](/2015/assets/images/partners/veba.png)
VEBA, textilní závody a.s.
VEBA is a traditional Czech manufacturer of jacquard woven cotton fabrics and one of the leading manufacturers in its field in the world. It uses today’s most advanced textile technology and exports 90% of production to Africa.
Top designers ensure VEBA products have a high aesthetic standard that meets current world trends.
VEBA has supplied the collection of outfits for hostesses and stewards at the Czech pavilion at Expo 2015. The collection made of lightweight fabrics combined with digital printing was designed by fashion designer, Beata Rajská.
![TEXSR, s.r.o.](/2015/assets/images/partners/texsr.png)
TEXSR, s.r.o.
A 100% Czech company, TEXSR has a history dating from 1991 and specialises in hotel, wellness and promotional textiles and bathroom accessories. Among its key products are luxurious bathrobes, which TEXSR manufactures and supplies to both hotel and wellness facilities, as well as direct to end customers.
The company quickly became a leader in its field in the Czech Republic and also supplies its products to customers in other European countries.
TEXSR has a long-term working partnership with Czech fashion and design company, E.daniely, which is behind the design of the clothes of personnel at the Czech pavilion at EXPO 2015. Among other things, the company designed luxurious bathrobes in Czech national colours using TEXSR material.
![Petra Kurschová](/2015/assets/images/partners/petruska-kurschova.png)
Petra Kurschová
Fashion without Borders. That’s how one could clearly and concisely describe the intent of fashion designer, Petra Kurschová, who wants to open up the world of fashion and show people the endless possibilities. Her ideas and the foundations of her designs are created in this spirit.
She is not only inspired by history, which she studies with interest, but also by the present and by future dreams and visions. Customers will find the Petruška Kurschová fashion salon in Strakonice, but even customers far beyond the borders of the region and the Czech Republic recognise the care the owner prides herself on. Visitors to the Czech pavilion at Expo 2015 will have the opportunity to see her original collection of men’s and women’s swimwear.