Andrea Büchler

The nominating institute TU Darmstadt on the breakthrough: Species and natural ecosystems are disappearing at alarming rates. This is due to land use, drought and global warming. We’re only beginning to understand properties that stabilise species communities and their interactions. Blüthgen has developed novel methods to understand such ecological networks…

The company is pioneering in its sector by operating the only grid-connected wave energy array floaters in the world, which is operational under a Power Purchase Agreement in Gibraltar. Upon its expansion to 5MW, this project will supply up to 15% of the country’s electricity needs. The project generates clean…

In this Falling Walls Breakthrough Conversation, digital participants had the chance to engage in a live conversation with Marianne W. Mureithi who is part of the Falling Walls Female Science Talents Program. She talked about her role as Chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology at the University…

Rare-earth elements have distinct properties that make them vital to the electronics and energy sectors. However, the current method of their extraction remains highly toxic and unsustainable. Arshia Mostoufi proposes using a novel biological-based system for the cost-effective and environmentally friendly extraction of rare-earth elements from metal ores using a…

Michaela Vojníková argues that bioceramic scaffolds can be prepared by using a freeze-casting method. This allows people to prepare pores appropriate for nerve guidance with a length of more than 3 cm and from a biocompatible material.

Wiping out a widespread disease is a notoriously difficult challenge on a global scale and malaria is one of the oldest and deadliest diseases to affect humanity. Malaria exacts a huge toll on human health and imposes a heavy social and economic burden, particularly on countries in sub-Saharan African and…

The nominating institution University of Innsbruck on the breakthrough: AQT is building upon 2 decades of European quantum research to now turn this know-how into a commercially successful company. Within one year of its first funding round AQT has managed to realize a first European quantum computer demonstrator, implemented cloud-access…

How Security Studies Explore the Roots of Terror What is it that motivates a formerly non-religious person to plan and commit a massacre declared as an act of god? What are the factors that attract young Europeans to a career as islamist fighters on the battlefields of Syria? These are…

Jasurbek Ibragimov is tackling eyestrain caused by prolonged phone and computer usage with an app designed to monitor eye health and blink frequency. The application not only tracks these metrics but also provides exercises to prevent eyestrain, offering a solution to alleviate the negative effects of digital device use on…

“Heroes of the planet” is a project consisting of educational content to teach kids of 9 to 12 years old about Climate Change. The course consists of animated videos telling stories with a main character (a child named Maywa) and the classical elements (earth, fire, water, wind) as secondary characters…