Breakthrough research has been, and continues to be, the key to understanding and solving the greatest challenges of our time. It is Falling Walls mission to assemble the pioneering visionaries responsible for the most impactful scientific breakthroughs of the year in Berlin on 9 November, the day the Wall fell. Colleagues and institutions worldwide are invited to nominate outstanding scientific achievements that have the power to change the world via the Global Call. All applications will be evaluated by scientific juries and advisory boards for the categories.
The Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2024 laureates in the six categories Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Social Sciences and Humanities, Art and Science, and Women’s Impact will take the stage on 9 November 2024. Shortlisted participants in the categories Emerging Talents, Science Start-Ups and Science Engagement will be invited to present their projects live at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin on 7 November 2024. The winners in these categories will be awarded the three additional titles of Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year 2024.
The 16th Falling Walls Science Summit will take place from 7-10 November 2024 in Berlin. The Summit programme includes pitches by upcoming scientists, science communicators and science start-ups during the Pitch Day on 7 November, debates between experts from politics, science, business, and media during the Circle Day on 8 November and keynotes by all Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year 2024 laureates on the Breakthrough Day on 9 November. The fourth day of the Science Summit on 10 November will take place for the second time: "Unexpected, Universal, Unconference".
Awardees in the year 2023 include Chuan He (University of Chicago; Breaking the Wall to a New Green Revolution), Cao Thang Dinh (Queen’s University; Breaking the Wall of Decarbonisation), Libor Šmejkal (Johannes Gutenberg University; Breaking the Wall to Quantum Magnets), sustainability start-ups Aignostics and Reverion, and others.
The names of the shortlisted projects for the main title will be published on the homepage of the Falling Walls Foundation on 16 August. This year’s Falling Walls Science Summit programme will be available online at the end of September 2024.
