Visitors to The Land of NOMO at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan will explore different themed sections when touring the Panasonic Group’s pavilion. Children can access their creative potential and unleash their full potential within the Unlock area. The Earth area displays five incredible technologies beside its exhibit. A special innovation known as Novitek enables plant growth through a natural bacteria-based solution at this display.
- They conducted interviews with three persons who were involved with this undertaking.
- Seiji Kojima from the Green Transformation Division at Panasonic Holdings Corporation
- Michael Shadovitz from the Design Division at Panasonic Corporation
- Toshiki Tanisaki from Ryokukou Garden
The bacterial solution known as Novitek facilitates natural plant growth.
The explanation of Novitek came from Seiji Kojima. The method photosynthesis enables plants to convert light energy into their required nutrients while people and animals obtain their vitality through consuming food. The plant enhancer Novitek consists of cyanobacteria which represent small natural single-celled microorganisms. These bacteria act like chloroplasts—the part of a plant that carries out photosynthesis. Plant growth speed using Novitek occurs naturally without generating any artificial effects.
Upon hearing about the technology Michael Shadovitz expressed his immediate thoughts. He said, “I was amazed. People across the world focus on expanding vegetation to address both food scarcity and climate instabilities. The successful implementation of this process depends on whether the expenses remain reasonable and the solution requires minimal space. Novitek generates excitement because its usage is straightforward while composed of natural substances and allows direct application to plants.
Kojima felt astonished upon learning Novitek would appear at the Expo. The technology was first designed to create plant cultivation systems in greenhouses as well as in open fields. He doubted whether the formulation would be effective for plants kept in house containers and pots.
Testing the Idea with Experts
Michael along with his team invited plant specialist Toshiki Tanisaki from Ryokukou Garden to assess whether Novitek would function correctly for the Expo exhibition. Plant expert Tanisaki had succeeded in using greenery to decorate trains in the past. The idea motivated him since he wanted to assist with its implementation.
Tanisaki expressed his willingness because he had previously worked on Expo-related projects. Dead plant arrangements typically survive for a maximum of two weeks. The extended six-month duration of this exhibit made maintenance of healthy plants a significant task for the entire period.
The experiments started after Kojima sought collaboration with Ryokukou Garden. The research aimed to determine both the potential for indoor extended life survival of the plants as well as Novitek’s effectiveness as a growth stimulant within indoor settings.
The experiments helped establish which plants would best succeed in the exhibition. The team conducted tests to determine light requirements along with projection of growth height alongside Novitek application frequency. They selected corn and mini tomatoes together with bananas and asparagus as the plants that would inhabit the Earth area.
The process of improvement started after students dealt with their obstacles while enjoying the overall experience.
According to Kojima the project stood apart from all his previous work. The laboratory is where he spends most of his time conducting research after each day. He initiated a collaborative project with both designers and plant experts during this mission. The hidden workshop feeling of Mr. Tanisaki’s experiment space created an exciting mood when I visited it.
Tanisaki also learned a lot. Outdoor sunlight is what he typically uses to plant plants. This time around he needed to measure light systematically while determining suitable combination of intensity and placement distance for different plant species. The project deepened his knowledge about proper plant maintenance according to him.
According to Michael the solution of major environmental problems demands collaborative effort from both businesses and outside entities. The achievement of solving big environmental challenges requires united efforts between the company team members and external actors. The collaborative efforts between different expertise fields produced a significant meaningful outcome from this project.
Before the expo’s official launch team members conducted complete performance checks
Transfer of the plants to the Expo venue will probably present fresh obstacles. According to Kojima the lighting and temperature at the Expo could vary from the testing phases. According to him teamwork strength enables the team to handle any upcoming challenges.
According to Tanisaki plants show different responses to conditions even though they belong to the same species. The results from one test experiment cannot guarantee consistency when conducted a second time. The exhibition will create curiosity and enthusiasm according to his expectations. He desires visitors to direct their inquiries towards the plant identity while expressing appreciation for remarkable shapes.
The contemporary youth recognizes fruits and vegetables strictly through store appearances according to Michael. The direct observation of tomatoes maturing on vines and developing on living plants will deliver to children an authentic understanding of natural processes. Through the exhibit he seeks to offer children authentic contact with plants in their natural state including the chance to see insects and touch plant leaves.
A Future with Novitek in Everyday Life
During their Earth establishments visit children will form mental images of future cities that will be dense with vegetation according to Michael. Its purpose is to motivate children to assist in developing communities that aim for health by reconnecting with nature.
The potential use of Novitek for houseplants together with urban greenery and crops could lead to extensive areas of application for the technology according to Kojima. The system has potential uses through plant energy support and city area vegetation transformation.
The professor explained cities face increasing challenges for plant growth because of worldwide climate changes. The ability of Novitek to protect plants during extreme temperatures opens new possibilities for urban green transformation to create more comfortable sustainable cities.
Tanisaki explained that he resided in Africa before identifying the global food crisis first-hand. The increased recognition of Novitek will lead to its implementation in different nations across the globe. Course of action for Tanisaki includes starting from Japan and spreading his technology across the globe with this particular Expo serving as the initial platform.
The Expo will serve as their initial entry point according to Michael. The team leader together with his team members will regularly monitor the site while handling potential problems. Despite potential hurdles Novitek stands prepared to tackle the issues and have enjoyable experiences at the same time.