The Falling Walls Lab is an international forum for the next generation of outstanding innovators and creative thinkers. Its aim is to promote exceptional ideas and to connect promising scientists and entrepreneurs from all fields on a global level. Participants get the opportunity to present their research work, business model, or initiative to peers, a high-calibre jury made up of experts from academia and business, and the general public - in 3 minutes each.

Find below the 3 editions in Latin America with open calls.

FALLING WALLS LAB IS COMING TO BRAZIL

How can apply

Applications are open to individuals from universities, research, innovation and entrepreneurship institutions, companies, academic centres and foundations. Applicants can be from any area and must be enrolled in an institution of higher education or have graduated at least ten years ago, or have a master's degree seven years ago or a doctorate five years ago. Of these, 15 will be chosen to present a three-minute pitch to a jury at the São Paulo campus of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), which will host the event in person on the afternoon of September 12. In addition to the judges, the public present will be able to choose their favourite. 

Candidatures from outside São Paulo will receive a travel allowance to São Paulo, in a format to be defined. 

The project elected the best by the jury will win an all-expenses-paid trip to present it at the Falling Walls Lab global final, scheduled for November 7th, in Berlin. There, another jury (and the public) will evaluate the proposals and choose the best. 

The contest, a promotion of the Falling Walls Foundation, is organised in Brazil annually by DWIH São Paulo, in partnership this year with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Unifesp Agency for Technological and Social Innovation (agitsUnifesp). 

WHEN

12 September 2023

WHERE

Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp)

Winners of 2022 

In last year's edition, held in a hybrid way - jury in Porto Alegre, candidates online - there was, for the first time, an all-female podium. The doctoral student of mechanical engineering at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) Isabella Rodrigues took first place with the proposal of creating a bioabsorbable cardiac stent that reduces risks to the patient.  

Taís Alves, an architect graduated from the University of São Paulo (USP) and with a Master's degree from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and from ETH Zurich, won second place with a software project, developed by the team at the creative studio Archflex, which intends to make carbon-neutral civil construction a reality. Third place went to the project represented by Camila Didio Rodrigues Chaves, a master's student in geostatistics at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), for a biodegradable and non-toxic product with the potential to increase productivity in the field.

Deadline: 25 July 2023

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