As we mentioned in our previous newsletter, EXPO 2020 will showcase outstanding examples of international collaboration and innovation through thematic weeks built around the themes of sustainability, mobility and opportunity. The event is the first world exhibition to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (the MEASA region): a global experience, a bridge to bring people, communities, companies and nations together; an inspiration, a challenge, a real solution to improve everyday life. But beyond all that, the World Expo is about innovation, collaboration and Dubai’s commitment to building a cleaner, more liveable and healthier future.

Continuing the October series, the Travel & Connectivity Week in January 2022 was organised by National Mobile Payment Plc. (NMP Plc.) activities to a targeted professional audience was further showcased at the EXPO “Hungarian Best Practices” event series, hosted in the Hungarian Pavilion. The aim of the presentations was to provide an insight into Hungarian best practices, such as the operation of the national mobile payment system, with a special focus on its relevance for national and regional sustainability.

During the presentations, business forums and professional discussions, NM Plc. staff contributed to the sharing of knowledge on regional and global innovative-technical initiatives, and participants had the opportunity to map working solutions and know-how, and to compare Hungarian working solutions with regional and global peer services.

The previous discussions at the regional level, in the framework of the V4 Smart Platform Project 2 (V4SP2), continued. The partners confirmed that the initiative is a good opportunity for the service sector as well, as they play an active role in the ecosystem of the emerging service model as part of the tourism sector, and are interested in creating interoperability of services and enhancing the customer experience.

A further conclusion is that there will be a need to maintain the professional dialogue of the V4SP2 community and to extend the communication of the project and the V4 region to the V4+ countries. For this reason, several V4+ countries have indicated their willingness to participate in further events of the project, and a thematic continuation of the project’s further events in 2022 is already being organised with the participation of these stakeholders.

The Buddy4All solution aims at fostering the wellbeing and active lifestyle of older adults. It motivates them to keep their mind and body trained via cognitive-physical exercises and supportive and fun cross-generational activities. Using a mobile app and novel mixed reality glasses, Buddy4All provides personal support via a multi-tiered buddy network. Buddy4All targets (a) cross-generational connection of older and younger adults, (b) cognitive-physical training, (c) a combination of virtual, professional and cross-generational support, all to preserve social inclusion, cognitive and physical fitness and personal wellbeing that leads to a healthy lifestyle. Buddy4All does not only target older adults but also younger adults who want to contribute to society and profit from the life experience of the older generation. They can not only give but also receive support and quality time.

Buddy4All provides cross-generational, virtual and professional support for both – older and younger adults – in a way that has never been available before. Further, mixed reality location-based games and cognitive-physical trainings are new to the AAL target group. Buddy4All will offer unique benefit to the primary end-users by providing effective support, exercises and cross-generational activities for mental and physical health in combination with all-time motivation and fun. Buddy4All will introduce three unique innovations: (1) a multi-tiered buddy network that focuses on cross-generational interaction, support, and experience exchange where both – younger adults and older adults – can profit from each other; (2) MR location-based games that can be played together with remote partners, where the younger adult is walking outside and the older adult can see on his mobile phone or tablet what the younger adult is seeing and help him solve different puzzles; (3) combined cognitive-physical trainings where proven brain trainings become more active and fun.

Our newest member is DVM Group Kft. Founded in 1995,  represented by Massányi Tibor, with HUF almost 27 billion sales revenue with 140 employees for 2020. DVM Group Kft. provides integrated engineering and construction services covering the full spectrum of the investment process from design to operation.

DVM is committed to making sustainability a part of everyday practice, both in the whole process of running projects and in the way we live in the office. They are actively seeking to contribute to making the construction industry and the built environment less environmentally damaging. Since 2008 the company has  been running a sustainability branch, which ensures its responsible operations. The company is also an active member of the Hungarian Green Building Council/HuGBC, a member organisation of the World Green Building Council. Their ethical operation is in line with the Hungarian legal environment and the Labour Code. They ensure equal rights by applying labour protection directives and non-discriminatory practices in line with today’s European standards.

Their membership aims at the development of sustainable business operations, the development and integration of sustainability guidelines for business operations. Furthermore, meeting like-minded business partners, sharing knowledge, collaborating, transferring successful experiences and further developing business sustainability.