NAIROBI, Kenya June 4 – Argentina is among five countries in the race to host specialised Expo 2027/28, a global event held every five years which is regulated by the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
If Bariloche is chosen at the elections set for this month, the Specialized Expo 2027/2028 will take place from February 1 to April 30, 2027 and will be the first event of its kind to be held in a Latin American country.
Expos are global events that explore a chosen theme through engaging and immersive discoveries. Among the different categories of Expos, Specialised Expos are designed to respond to a precise challenge facing humanity and may take place in the interval between two World Expos.
Specialised Expos are limited in terms of duration – lasting up to three months – and space – with the exhibition area not exceeding 25 hectares. The site is entirely built by the Organiser, Participants being provided with pavilion space.
Argentina’s Ambassador to Kenya Gabriela Martinic said the South American country is keen to host the global expo in San Carlos de Bariloche between 1 February and 30 April 2027 under the theme ‘Nature + Technology = Sustainable Energy. A viable future for humanity’.
“Argentina is no doubt the best candidate to host this expo,” Ambassador Martinic said, “The theme refers to the use of technology to promote sustainable development and as a solution to climate change.”
In addition, and in light of the country’s upcoming participation in Agritech, Argentina’s agroindustry and its contribution to global food security and sustainable production and consumption makes it the best candidate for the global expo.
“This technology is applied in 81% of the country’s cultivated area and offers a more sustainable production system, with more efficient use of the water and higher chances of cultivation in areas with low rainfall. With no till farming, Argentina has increased its output year after year, producing food for 400 million people annually,” she said.
Bariloche is already known not only for its breath-taking natural attractions but also for housing several Argentine technology companies in the nuclear, space and communications sectors, and this candidacy is part of the project to turn Bariloche into a “city of knowledge”.
And with more than 200 biotechnological companies, Argentina prides itself among the twenty countries with the highest number of companies worldwide. These companies produce inoculants, genetically modified seeds, micropropagation, medicine and vaccines for livestock and animal cloning.
“We export not only technology, but also the know how through the National Industry and Agricultural Technology Institute. We are currently carrying out a cooperation project to improve livestock production in Kenya,” she said.
Argentina is competing with four other candidates, namely, the United States, Thailand, Serbia and Spain.
The United States’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Minnesota between 15 May and 15 August 2027 under the theme ‘Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Wellness and Well-Being for All while Thailand’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Phuket between 20 March and 17 June 2028 under the theme ‘Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity’.
Serbia’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Belgrade between 15 May and 15 August 2027 under the theme ‘Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All’ with Spain’s candidature keen for a Specialised Expo in Malaga between 5 June and 5 September 2027 under the theme ‘The Urban Era: towards the Sustainable City’.
Most countries that support Argentina’s candidacy say they are attracted to the tourist route chosen-National Route 40, the longest tourist route in the country, which runs through the most attractive and important tourist regions of Argentina and is parallel to the southern Andes mountain range to the north.
Argentina has been an active participant in Expos since the 19th century, with its first participation dating from Expo 1855 in Paris. The country, which joined the BIE in 1982, is currently participating in Expo 2020 Dubai with a pavilion themed “Argentina, a world of opportunities”.
Organisers say it is proposed as a node of new local, regional and national centrality of great dimension, with 450,000 m2 dedicated to exhibition spaces and services and registered in a property greater than 320 hectares associated with industrial and business activities, which transforms the total area into an accelerating milestone of the development of the City of Bariloche.
The location
In the southern part of Argentina, occupying the northern Patagonia region, the low-key mountain town of Bariloche hugs Nahuel Huapi, a startlingly crystalline glacial lake centered in the national park of the same name. Early in the 20th century, Swiss, German, and Austrian settlers decamped here, lured in by the invigorating alpine air and knee-buckling natural beauty. And today, European flourishes continue to abound in Bariloche, from the rustic wood chalets to the popularity of craft chocolate.
Argentina is a leader in the introduction of no till farming, which entails the planting of crops without soil removal.
The First World’s Fair was held in London in 1851. Since then, world and specialized exhibitions have been organized in Europe (42), Asia (10), North America (14) and Oceania (2). However, none have been carried out in South America. The last of the Specialized Expos of this type was held in 2017 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Among the different kinds of Expo organized by the BIE, Expo Dubai 2020 was also developed with great success, between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.
