World Expo Milan: showcasing Dutch food innovations

For the 2015 World Expo in Milan, Dutch museum of science and culture Museon was asked to create an inspiring environment for the reception of trade missions and country delegations. Partnering with Museon, we took a simple approach to the expo’s theme: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. The Dutch inspire the world with innovative solutions for global food challenges, so let’s show them to an international audience. Visitors experience a paradigm shift, realizing that despite its small size, the Netherlands is the second biggest food producer in the world.

‘Share, Grow, Live, the Dutch Innovation Zone’ was designed to leave visitors with a fresh perspective on the tradition, reality and future of Dutch agriculture. ‘Many people don’t know that the Netherlands has a rich food tradition,’ says NorthernLight co-founder Peter Slavenburg. ‘In the 17th century, exotic spices, coffee and tea were imported into the country from afar. The Dutch play a huge part in enriching the taste of the world.’

The zone was housed in the monumental Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci. The museum’s three-room layout lent itself for a story told in as many steps. After learning about the history of food in the flat lands, visitors encountered an interactive map with which they could send various foods flying all over the world. The projection table revealed where different kinds of food end up and in what quantities. The third room illustrated futuristic innovations in the field. Using LED technology, we transformed the heart of the innovation zone into a bright-pink beacon. The lighting system – a technical innovation that originates in the Netherlands – supports plant growth in vertical and city farming.