There are few events that can bring people together on a global scale.  One is the Olympics, another the FIFA World Cup, and a third is the World Expo, which takes place every five years in a different location — this year in Milan, Italy from May 1 to October 31, 2015.

The first World Expo was held in London in 1851 as a platform for visionaries in industry, technology, arts and sciences from different cultures to show off their pioneering wares.  Events of yore have given us technical feats as diverse as the x-ray machine, the dishwasher and the Eiffel Tower.

In the past few decades, expo themes like “Better City Better Life” or “Nature’s Wisdom” have reflected changing demographics, trends and the complex social, industrial and environmental fabric that influence our planet.  At this year’s “Expo Milano 2015” the theme of “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” examines the challenge of balancing nutrition for mankind while respecting the planet’s resources.

With a global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, warmer climates, melting icecaps, farm droughts, overflowing landfills and polluted drinking water are issues that concern a global population and merit new and/or improved technological solutions developed with sustainability in mind.

One of the first steps towards remedying this is a greater awareness of the issues at hand.  Millions of Expo Milano attendees will discover traditions and technologies involved in food production from hundreds of exhibiting countries, in addition to participating in shows, conferences and meetings that address the environment and urbanization. After all, the food industry is a €2 trillion economy, the largest in the world.

Dassault Systèmes is proud to be an official sponsor of the Expo Milano, as its theme parallels our mission to harmonize Product, Nature and Life.  In order to play an active role in contributing to this awareness, over the next few weeks we will feature what we are calling our “Sustainability Series”—a selection of posts focused on environmental sustainability in our 12 industries that highlights challenges, groundbreaking moments, customer success stories and our own thought leaders, reminding us that everyone has a story to tell when the well-being of future generations is at stake.