Daniel Mendonça Silva, Business and Dissemination Manager at GreenCoLab, was present at the Portuguese Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, from June 26 to 27. As part of a delegation led by the University of the Algarve (UAlg), the Portuguese participation highlighted cooperation, innovation, and culture in a setting that promoted science and national creativity within the global context of the exhibition.
The delegation consisted of members from the University of the Algarve’s Communications team, including André Botelheiro and Laura Alves, the coordinator of CRIA UAlg’s Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer Division, Hugo Barros, João Carrilho from the FLY MOUSTACHE agency, and Daniel Mendonça Silva, representing GreenCoLab.
The exhibition space dedicated to UAlg’s innovative ecosystem gave special focus to the university’s connection to the sea, featuring an attractive visual display that included carefully developed graphic design panels to communicate the institution’s ‘blue’ dimension. One of the highlights was the premiere of an original animated video, inspired by traditional elements of Japanese culture, starring a seahorse – an iconic symbol of the Algarve’s marine ecosystem.
GreenCoLab’s participation centred on the presentation of innovative solutions developed using algae. The public had the chance to see prototypes and sustainable products up close, such as:
ALGAEGEMS: a colourful line of innovative algae-based foods; ALGAEBEER: a refreshing drink that combines flavour and sustainability; CLEAN CULTURE: kits for detecting contaminants, aimed at safety and quality in blue biotechnology; algae ingredients and extracts with applications in the food, cosmetics and environmental areas were also presented.
The children’s book “The Green of the Blue – Discovering the World of Algae”, now also available in Japanese, with an animated version, promotes environmental literacy from an early age.
This presence at Expo 2025 Osaka reinforces the role of the University of the Algarve and GreenCoLab as active agents in promoting sustainable innovation, entrepreneurship and the internationalisation of Portuguese science.
We want to thank the University of the Algarve for their trust and for inviting us to represent Portuguese innovation across borders together. Our thanks also go to Bernardo Amaral, Director of the Portugal Pavilion at AICEP, for his assistance and support.
