Call for Nominations: Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award 2026 (6 – 9 November 2026) (Deadline: 27 February 2026 5:30pm)

Overview

The Falling Walls Foundation (Falling Walls), a charity supported by the German government and numerous acclaimed academic institutions, foundations, companies, and NGOs, has been hosting the Falling Walls Science Summit annually since 9 November 2009, the 20^th anniversary of the peaceful fall of the Berlin Wall. It is a leading international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral forum for scientific breakthroughs and dialogue between science and society.

Call for Nominations

The Falling Walls is inviting nominations from academic institutions, research centres and other entities around the world for the Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award in eight categories. Falling Walls is a world-renowned international competition that honours people who are pioneering solutions to the world’s greatest challenges and creating breakthroughs across borders and disciplines.

The Knowledge Transfer Office is invited to consider suitable nominations for this prestigious award in the following categories:

• Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture)
• Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage)

Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture)

Purpose and Significance

Falling Walls Venture aims to highlight the entrepreneurial potential in science by connecting pioneering startups with investors, institutions, and the broader scientific community. The event is part of the Falling Walls Science Summit, which takes place annually in Berlin, coinciding with the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This initiative encourages the translation of scientific research into viable business models, fostering innovation and collaboration across disciplines.

Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage)

Purpose and Significance

The Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award celebrates the most recent breakthroughs in science and society from around the world. The award is selected by a jury of globally recognized experts in the fields, and it aims to foster dialogue on research and innovation globally. The award brings together the latest breakthroughs, outstanding science projects, and bright minds behind them in scientific, innovation, and humanistic categories.

The Prize

The most promising 25 companies, carefully selected by our Advisory Board, are invited to pitch on the Falling Walls Venture stage in Berlin on 6 November. They also gain access to the entire Falling Walls Science Summit, as well as exclusive networking events and the Falling Walls Community. A high-calibre jury of international experts, investors, and corporate innovation leaders will select one of the start-ups as the “Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year Science Start-Ups”. The winning start-up will have the opportunity to pitch their breakthrough innovation on the main stage on 9 November, the anniversary of the historic fall of the Berlin Wall, alongside other outstanding researchers who will showcase their work.

• Get selected as one of the 25 Venture Finalists, participate in the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin from 6^th – 9^th November 2026, and have your accommodation and travel costs covered
• Present your work to a distinguished jury, global leaders and a selected audience during the Falling Walls Venture Pitches on 6^th November 2026
• Become the “Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year” in the “Science Start-ups” category and pitch in front of an audience of global leaders at the Falling Walls Breakthrough Day on 9^th November 2026
• Expand your network with investors and business partners and become a part of the Falling Walls Community
• Extend your global reach and be spotlighted across our online platforms

Eligibility

Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture)

• Falling Walls Venture is open to start-ups that are based on scientific research
• Falling Walls Venture is open to all scientific disciplines (e.g. biotech, data & AI, cleantech, new materials, engineering, healthcare, food & agriculture)
• Each start-up must be endorsed by a nominating institution. This can be a university, a research institution, or another type of organization, like an accelerator or incubator
• The company must be founded (incorporated) by the time you apply and cannot be older than 5 years
• Start-ups who have already participated in the Falling Walls Venture Pitches in Berlin are not eligible to participate again
• Start-ups should already have a prototype/proof of concept
• Start-ups with CUHK technologies
• The Person-In-Charge (PIC) MUST BE full-time staff at CUHK holding positions within the professoriate or research academic ranks (Assistant Professor rank or Research Assistant Professor rank or above).
• Preference will be given to CUHK teams with current TSSSU-O or TSSSU+ schemes

Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage)

• Full-time academic staff members at Assistant Professor rank or Research Assistant Professor rank or above.

Application Procedures

Applications should be submitted via the online following application portals on or before 27^th February 2026 (5:30 pm). Late and/or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

• Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture)

Link: Click Here 

• Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage)

Link: Click Here

Nominations will be reviewed and selected by the Falling Walls. On 9^th November 2026, the Science Breakthroughs of the Year will be announced, and all the laureates will be invited to present on stage at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin.

Important notes

• The final selection will be subject to an internal review by the KTO vetting committee and acceptance by the organizer.
• All applications should be submitted to Knowledge Transfer Events Management Team, Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO). If no record of information submission is received, KTO reserves the right to exclude the project.

Previous winners

• Apple Chui, School of Life Sciences—Laureate of Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage), 2024
• Shih-Chi Chen, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering (MAE)—Top 10 Scientists in Engineering and Technology, 2023
• Xiao Yang, Department of Microbiology—Top 25 Science Start-ups (Falling Walls Venture), 2023
• Yi-Chun Lu, MAE—Top 10 Scientists in Engineering and Technology, 2020

Useful Information:

Official Website https://falling-walls.com/

 For further enquiries, please feel free to contact Dr. Gene Man at 39431453 (geneman@cuhk.edu.hk), Ms. Joyce Mak at 39430812 (joycemak@cuhk.edu.hk) or Ms. Anson Ip at 39433458 (ansonip@cuhk.edu.hk).