Falling Walls Lab Baden-Württemberg
Great minds, 3 minutes, 1 day in Heidelberg - on July 22, 2026, students, researchers and early-career professionals are given the opportunity to present their solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time to peers, a high-caliber jury of experts from academia and business.
Key Information
- Date: July 22, 2026 (4:00–9:00 p.m.)
- Venue: Marsilius Kolleg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.1, 69120 Heidelberg
- Language: English
- Application Deadline: June 8, 2026
- Application opens on April 14, 2026
What is it about?
Three minutes is all it takes: The lab winner qualifies for the global Finale in Berlin on November 6, 2026 and wins a ticket to attend the Falling Walls Science Summit, where the international Lab winners get to interact and network with the world’s movers and shakers of science, business, and policy-making.
Past presentations have ranged in topic from ‘Breaking the Wall of Molecular Monotony’ to ‘Breaking the Wall of Access to Justice’. The breakthrough factor (how innovative is the proposed idea?), potential impact of the presented work (how relevant is the idea to the discipline and beyond?), and performance (how convincing was the presentation?) help the jury determine the winner.
What can the winner of the event expect?
During their multi-day stay in Berlin, the international Lab winners take part in an exclusive extended program that includes an introductory session and networking dinner, expert workshops on a broad range of topics such as career development, entrepreneurial skills, and academic publishing, and events hosted by prestigious German research organizations.
At the global Finale, the international Lab winners compete to become the Breakthrough Winner in the Emerging Talents category of Falling Walls, taking home the title and prize money, and receiving the opportunity to pitch their idea once again on the Falling Walls Breakthroughs of the Year stage, which, throughout the day, hosts leading experts, changemakers, and luminaries, including Nobel laureates and Leibniz Prize winners.
FALLING WALLS LAB BADEN WÜRTTEMBERG – YOUR LAUNCHPAD FOR BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS!
On July 22, 2026, the Marsilius Kolleg in Heidelberg (Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.1) will host 10 brilliant early career scientists and professionals. In just three minutes each will pitch a socially relevant, forward looking concept – from cutting edge research to innovative initiatives.
Join us to see which pitch earns a spot in the Grand Finale on 6 November in Berlin and the chance to present on the world stage at the Falling Walls Science Summit.
TIME: 4 pm (16:00)
VENUE: Marsilius Kolleg, Heidelberg
Experience inspiration, expand your network, and join the next generation of wall breakers!
Testimonials
“The Falling Walls Lab experience reinforced my confidence in HeartGate through inspiring peer exchange, shared enthusiasm, and international networking across science and entrepreneurship.”
- Florian Meißner, winner at Falling Walls Lab Baden-Württemberg 2025 in Konstanz
“I was fascinated by how different problems are all around the world, but that the passion and motivation to solve those problems and improve the world we all live in unites all participants.”
- Carina Kanitz, Second place winner at Falling Walls Lab Baden-Württemberg 2025 in Konstanz
Falling Falls Lab
Tabelle
Falling Walls Lab is a global pitch competition that brings together an interdisciplinary pool of students and early-career professionals by providing a stage for their breakthrough ideas in just 3 minute pitches. In 2025, there were over 2750 applications and 82 Falling Walls Labs were hosted in 60 countries.
Each year between February and September, renowned academic institutions worldwide organise their own Falling Walls Labs to showcase the quality, diversity, and passion of their region’s most innovative minds. 100 international Lab winners qualify for the Global Finale in Berlin, hosted at the Falling Walls Science Summit, where they get to interact with the world’s movers and shakers of science, business, and policymaking.
During their multi-day stay in Berlin, the international Lab winners take part in a broad extended programme during which they gain valuable insights into Germany´s research landscape and the opportunities offered to these international researchers.
At the Global Finale, the international Lab winners compete for the prestigious Breakthrough of the Year in the Emerging Talents category. They take home the title and prize money, and share the stage with leading experts, changemakers as well as Nobel laureates and Leibniz Prize winners.
About the organizers
Falling Walls Lab Baden-Württemberg is organized by Heidelberg University, together with the Heidelberg Karlsruhe Strategic Partnership (HEiKA), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Konstanz, and the University of Stuttgart.