THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FUTURE BREAKTHROUGHS
The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the dawn of a new era of freedom by breaking barriers both physical and imaginary in Germany and around the world. Three decades on, the night of 9 November 1989 has become a symbol of changing status quos and overcoming divisions of all kinds. Drawing inspiration from this historic moment, the Falling Walls Conference is driven by the desire to find out: which are the next walls to fall in science and society?
Since its inception, the conference has become a unique global platform connecting science, business and society through a shared commitment to create breakthrough solutions to challenges across borders and disciplines. Each year, twenty of the world’s most forward-thinking scientists and boldest visionaries take to our stage to showcase their scientific breakthroughs from the broadest possible range of disciplines.
1989 – Today: Timothy Garton Ash, 2019
AI in Society: Meredith Whittaker, 2019
Audience of the Falling Walls Conference, 2019
Robotics and Machine Learning: Sami Haddadin, 2019
Forum Stage, 2019
Black Hole Imaging: Shep Doeleman, 2019
Lunch Break, 2019
Neuroscience of Reading: Maryanne Wolf, 2019
Audience of the Falling Walls Conference, 2019
Goodbye: Sebastian Turner, 2019
SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND BUILDING CONNECTIONS
The Falling Walls experience isn’t merely confined to our Lecture Hall though. Further inspiration awaits during the breaks: Through chance encounters over coffee or in the Braindate Lounge, where you can dive into the entire width and depth of ideas pooled together by our community.
Representatives of the global avant-garde of researchers and thinkers, decision-makers from science, business and politics, and emerging talents convene on this day in Berlin. The conference gathers participants from all over the world to bring down walls between borders and disciplines by sharing knowledge and building new connections. Our biggest thanks therefore goes to all those who have made this trip to share their knowledge and inspiring stories. On this note, we would also like to thank each of our partners for their support along the way. We are particularly grateful to the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Berlin Senate.
“The Falling Walls Conference is clearly different from any subject-specific conference, a true enrichment and source of inspiration to us!”
Participants from Leading for Tomorrow – 2019
“Thirty years ago this Saturday, we entered a new era with the fall of the Wall. Now, as the world finds itself in a state of crisis, we need the optimistic, liberal spirit of 1989 to overcome it.”
Timothy Garton Ash
“We learned about numerous exciting breakthroughs, encountered a whole lot of fabulous people and had good conversations. A great experience!”
Hubertus und Christina von Baumbach – Boehringer Sohn AG
“Thank you for the opportunity to speak at the spectacular Falling Walls Conference which is like no other I have ever attended. It’s run beautifully both in logistics and contents.”