Design of the UK Pavilion

GKN, BP and AstraZeneca announces they will be corporate sponsors of the UK Pavilion

scene of their announcment

The United Kingdom plans to invest between 10 million pounds (US$19.55 million) and 12 million pounds in World Expo 2010 Shanghai, visiting British officials said in the city yesterday.

"The grand event provides a unique opportunity for us to share aspiration, knowledge and experience," said John Dennis, project director for the British participation in the World Expo. "We will present an iconic UK Pavilion."

The design of the UK Pavilion, unveiled last November, was among the four most anticipated attractions of the event, according to an online survey at the time.

Designed by Heatherwick Studio, the pavilion is in the shape of a big cube with thousands of spines that hover in the air. The spines swing in the breeze and are tipped with tiny, colored lights that display various images.

"It is utterly original and shows our boldness to offer a Britain with creativity, diversity and innovation," said Dennis.

The pavilion will become a symbol of the UK's commitment to sustainable urban development as it will be built from materials that are recyclable and carbon-neutral.

GKN, BP and AstraZeneca announced yesterday that they will be corporate sponsors of the UK Pavilion.

With a sponsorship of 500,000 pounds, pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will directly support the design, development and staging.

"The theme of the World Expo 'Better City, Better Life' seems very relevant to us as a health-care company," said David Brennan, CEO of AstraZeneca. "The sponsorship demonstrates our commitment in raising public awareness to develop science and innovation to improve public health."

Brennan was among the business delegation with visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Delegation members - including Barclays Chairman Marcus Agius, Standard Chartered Bank's Group CEO Peter Sands and Ernst & Young Chairman Mark Otty - attended a forum in Shanghai yesterday.

Business leaders suggested companies become more energy-efficient and use advanced technology to reduce carbon emission．

The three sponsors are interviewed by the media