Shape the Future
Spirit of Breaking Barriers
In a world marked by complexity, disruption, and accelerating discovery, shaping the future demands more than insight — it requires imagination, interdisciplinary thinking, and yes, a sense of playfulness. Shape the Future brings together leading minds from science, policy, business, and the arts — inviting them to engage in a simple, symbolic exercise: building with wooden toy bricks.
In this playful yet profound moment, they express bold ideas, test new perspectives, and reflect the essence of innovation itself — constructive, creative, and constantly evolving.
What emerges is a compelling visual narrative of how knowledge takes shape: through openness, experimentation, and collaboration across boundaries. We invite you to join this growing constellation of changemakers. Take part in the Falling Walls Science Summit 2025, contribute your vision, and help shape the breakthroughs that will define our shared future.
Meet the Faces Shaping the Future
What shapes the future? We posed this question to some of the most influential voices in science, policy, and innovation — and their answers are as diverse as they are insightful.
Through thought-provoking statements and symbolic constructions, these leaders share what drives progress in their fields: ideas, people, questions, risks, failures, collaboration, imagination. Each contribution is a reflection of how the future is shaped — not in isolation, but through bold thinking and shared responsibility. This collection is both visual and intellectual: a gallery of perspectives that challenge, inspire, and expand how we think about change.
As you explore their responses, we invite you to reflect on your own: How do you shape the future?
Falling Walls Science Summit
6-9 November | Karl-Marx-Allee 34 | Berlin or Online
We bring together global science leaders, business pioneers, and public sector visionaries to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and shape the future of the international innovation system—creating meaningful impact for humanity.
Listen to cutting-edge project pitches, dynamic discussions, and insights from renowned speakers, including the Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Laureates, as they share breakthrough innovations and global perspectives in science.