Falling Walls Falling Walls Science Summit 2022

Our project focuses on inspiring people into science and technology through astronomy. We take our 12 inch computerised telescope and 8meter portable planetarium to schools and public places in an effort to inspire, engage and empower the next generation of African scientists. We invite kids for a lesson under the…

Birds are perhaps one of the oldest subjects of human study. From marvelling at their effortless flight to mapping their transcontinental journeys – with the advance of scientific progress, we have gained ever deeper insights into their biology. One of the most recent discoveries now shows yet another astonishing facet:…

During COVID-19, artists in Ireland had their pipeline of work instantly dry up. We launched a round of experimental virtual residencies available for makers, creators, writers, artists and designers to collaborate with scientists over five weeks. For this virtual residency, each ‘resident’ got €1000 and was paired with two advisors.…

The nominating institution Max Planck Society on the breakthrough: Kaufmann’s work on Tuberculosis shows how basic research can lead to the rational design of novel interventions. The vaccine VPM1002 has been licensed to Vakzine Projekt-Management, Hannover / Serum Institute India, Pune. It has successfully completed phase-I clinical trials in adults…

PRESENTED BY James Nguyen NOMINATED BY The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) Tags: Quantum Security, Quantum Cryptography, Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Cyber Security

How is it possible that a bird is able to perform some of the same tasks as a chimpanzee, or even a human? This should be impossible, at least on a cognitive level, given everything we have learned about the brain in the last century. According to a long-held theory,…

Two states of matter “solid” and “fluid”, which are mutually exclusive in the classical world, can exist simultaneously in the quantum world. The supersolid was created by dysprosium atoms that behave like tiny magnets and that were cooled down to near absolute zero (-273° Celsius). To generate a supersolid, the…

The rapid integration of AI into all aspects of society raises urgent questions and presents significant dangers. AI technologies have been introduced in a range of sectors, with claims that automating sensitive social decisions improves outcomes and increases efficiency. From facial recognition and predictive policing data to automated HR –…

We contribute to the project with our simulated moving bed technology to separate sugars and sugar alcohols from the mixed sugar streams.

The Bear is a non-profit organization to promote & develop The Art of Autobiographical Storytelling. We provide a dignified and professional setting for ordinary Berliners to share the extraordinary moments of their lives with as many people as possible, so this unifying effect can enfold. Celebrating 50 shows of true,…

“Tianjic” is the the world’s first brain-inspired hybrid computing chip that bridges computer-science-oriented and neuroscience-oriented approaches. It not only accommodates computer-science-oriented machine learning algorithms and neuroscience-oriented models, but also supports cross computing paradigm modelling. With one chip, a bicycle performs real-time object detection, tracking, voice recognition, obstacle avoidance, auto balance…

Our products are Artificial limbs. Now we have a design of knee and we started to build it. We are aiming to design more and build it too. Tags: Diversity, Engineering, prosthetic limbs.

Waliyat A. Kola-Aderoju’s project is an intersection of making learning fun and easy for children and teaching them about helping the immediate environment become a cleaner and safer place for other organisms.

The digital coach goes far beyond traditional reactive ‘FAQ-bot’ approaches by pro-actively engaging with students and starting conversations to ensure they settle into university life with the best support possible; making personalised recommendations for societies to join, asking how students are feeling and nudging students towards activities that can help…

ImmerseMe is virtually breaking the wall of miscommunication by teaching language and culture through breakthrough technology virtual reality. We’ve partnered with educators around the globe to design a fully interactive platform with 1,000s of authentic lessons across 9 languages. So far 75,000 students have test driven our technology and we’ve…

PRESENTED BY Josua Jordi NOMINATED BY University of Zurich Tags: Bye Bye Late Night Cravings, Swiss Start-ups, Pharma, Bio Tech, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Appetite Supressors, First-in-class, Novel Drug Discovery Platform

Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Citizen Science, Digitalisation, Diversity, Education, Engineering, Environment & Nature, Global Cooperation, Open Access, Quantum Technologies, Resilience, Robotic, Science Communication, Science Diplomacy, Science, Policy, Social Cohesion, Space & the Universe, Trust in science.

The aim of this project is to allow anybody anywhere to do genetic detection, simply rapidly and affordably. To demystify, empower educate and inspire. Tags: Bio-Tech, Citizen Science, Covid-19, Energy, Environment & Nature, Food & Agriculture, Green Tech, Med-Tech, Open Access, Resilience, Science Communication, Science Diplomacy, Trust in science.

Nominated by: National University of Singapore Presented by: Don Haut

The nominating institute Carl Zeiss AG on the project: In 2020, KIT and ZEISS raised their strategic partnership by opening the ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT. Located on campus, the hub provides space for ZEISS researchers and KIT spin-offs, including nanoscribe, a successful KIT spin-off with ZEISS investment. It offers…

How Responsive Nanomaterials Take Medicine to the Next Level Self-destruction mechanisms are not only a frequent feature of action movies, they are also the next big thing in nanomedicine. Think of tiny capsules that overcome complex barriers of the body and eventually dissolve, releasing substances to specific places – and…

The nominating institution EPFL on the breakthrough: eM+ works on tangible & intangible heritage and archival materials from Asia, Australasia and Europe using computer science and human-computer interaction techniques to alter cultural data into advanced ultra-high-resolution visualizations. It brings novel digital imaging technology into museums in association with cultural and…

Native Scientist connects children and scientists across Europe using a new concept integrating science and language learning (STEM+LANG). Our educational and empowerment programme targets migrant children who are twice as likely to underachieve in science than non-migrants. In school workshops using a speed-dating format, the project brings together 20 children…

Since the Berlin Wall has fallen, the World has made real progress in the fight against extreme poverty: the number of people living in extreme poverty has declined from 1.4 billion then to 800 million today. The number of children dying under the age of 5 every year has been…

Power Asymmetries: How big platforms change the organization of society Our society is increasingly defined by big platforms and their algorithms. Google is already an integral part of education and the workspace, while Facebook, Amazon and Spotify heavily influence how we communicate, what we buy and what music we listen…

During corrosion metallic surfaces release ions, they ‘escape’, so to say. In my project I proposed an organic coating which captures the released metal ions and converts them to a protective layer. Tags: Engineering, Mobility & Transportation, Corrosion Protection, Coating Technology.

Forced by the sudden lockdown of their physical campuses in Botswana, Lesotho, eSwatini and Namibia, Botho university went into a partnership with the internet service providers to white list and zero rate their learning management system Blackboard which allowed students uninterrupted access to the learning content 24 hours. Through their…

By capitalizing on low-cost local wool produced by herders, Oyungerel Munkhbat is able to produce affordable air purification filters as efficient as the HEPA filter, preventing air pollution-related diseases.

HOW A REACTIVE SYSTEMS APPROACH MAY LEAD TO FULL DYNAMIC MODELS OF MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS One-day experiments on living beings will be, to a large extent, substi-tuted by interactive simulations on computers. A decade ago, computer scientist David Harel, winner of the Israel Prize, the ACM Software System Award, the Emet…

Nominated by: Speedinvest Presented by: Dr. Tongtong Zhu

Mathematical structure permeates the natural world. Dr. Fathauer’s work blends mathematics with organic and inorganic forms from nature. This synthesis allows him to create novel and compelling artworks, realized as prints and ceramic sculptures. These derive their appeal from juxtapositions such as complexity and order; movement and balance; and geometric…

The nominating institution Max-Planck-Institute on the breakthrough: I led an interdisciplinary team of computer and behavioral scientists, to study how humans think about the ethics of Artificial Intelligence. We designed a game, the Moral Machine, in which people decide what a self-driving car should do when it is faced with…

Current batteries suffer high costs, short cycling lifetimes, low energy density, etc. A new battery design is needed. Building cooperative interfaces that enable anode-free batteries is the solution.

The nominating institution National University of Singapore on the breakthrough: The current pandemic is disrupting lives and rapid on-site testing is key to containing the outbreak. However, current testing requires samples to be sent to a centralized laboratory and results can take up to a few days to be made…

Michelle leads the Food and Agricultural Proteomics teams at Edith Cowan University and CSIRO, using revolutionary technology to identify key proteins to benefit Australia’s food and agriculture industries. She invented gluten-free barley, now known as Kebari®️, used to produce gluten-free cereals, beers and food products. These have the nutritional benefits…

I plead for a design turn within the social sciences, in order to foster the renewal of empirical methods from an analytical towards a co-productive synthetic approach of knowledge production.

Following over 20 years of intensive, collaborative development work, European companies and research institutes have created a revolutionary new manufacturing technology for mass-producing powerful micro-chips: EUV lithography. Because EUV light is absorbed even by air, ZEISS SMT created an optical system for the EUV lithography machine that consists of the…

According to Dana Pousty, safe water can be accessible anywhere around the globe by using the sustainable UV-LED lab patented device which uses multispectral wavelengths to achieve maximum disinfection with minimum costs and energy consumption.

In this Falling Walls Breakthrough Conversation with Eric Isaacs, digital participants had the chance to discuss and ask questions. The interview series provided an intense personal atmosphere, in which high-level guests, speakers and panelists of the Falling Walls Science Summit 2021 focused on their individual research, career paths and experiences.…

How fast-charging batteries work and why they matter In order for the European Union to achieve its goal of zero net emissions by 2050, the speed at which devices can be charged needs to increase significantly. Clare Grey, Professor of Chemistry at Cambridge University, sees her work as an important…

The Funlab: Reach the unreachable project aims to use its science bus to reach out to the underprivileged communities all over Egypt through edutainment hands-on activities to spark their passion about science and inspire them to choose science and technology fields for their studies and careers. Another goal is to…

Matej Badin’s method can quantify the metastability of emerging phases induced by pressure, thus opening the route towards the synthesis of materials hosting exotic properties by means of pressure quenching.

ArtTech provides the social vision of post-petrochemistry in the dye industry. The feasibility of the vision has been shared with society through fashion shows using our cutting-edge natural dyes.   Tags: Environment & Nature, Green Tech, Ocean pollution.

Using computational methods, Jiao Jiao Li optimises the conditions for growing stem cells. The cells respond to environmental changes and output the most effective biomolecules for treating a specific disease.

How an artificial intelligence can become a truly musical companion Music has long been hailed as one of the last frontiers of human creativity; and music is not just composition, but also, and equally important, expressive performance. It is the performers and the musicians who bring a piece to life,…

Development of a novel waste-to-fuel process to produce diesel and electricity for modular, off-grid applications. Develop a novel catalyst with high activity and stability for the novel process. Tags: Circular Economy, Energy, Engineering, Green Tech, Renewable energies.

The nominating institute University of Zurich on the breakthrough: While mutualism was already acknowledged by Darwin, almost all studies have focused on highly specialized, one-on-one interactions. This misses the fact that mutualism shapes networks of interdependencies involving dozens of species. Bascompte’s work fills this gap by showing that the structure…

Voice of nature art installation uses a living tree to uncover the impact of climate change in real time. In collaboration with the scientific partner Stefano Mancuso of the LIVN lab of the University of Florance and the sensor department of the Technical University of delft Artist Thijs Biersteker Developed…

How Sociology Can Mediate Between Islam and Western Modernity The world’s biggest refugee crisis since the second world war is bringing ten thousands of migrants to Central Europe – former citizens of Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan or Somalia fleeing from war, dictatorship or religious extremism. The fact that most of the…

SprinD is a front-runner organization in Europe with a completely new approach to breakthrough innovation. I does not rely on peer-review-based identification and selcetion processes. Rather it aims at recruiting forward-looking innovation managers to select research and innovation projects which are both research-intensive and application-oriented. Rafael Laguna will be able…