Making a difference to science and society: Bring breakthrough ideas to life at Falling Walls Lab Singapore

12 May 2023, SINGAPORE – Students, researchers and early-career professionals with breakthrough ideas to benefit society will have the opportunity to present their solutions on an international stage as Falling Walls Lab returns for the sixth time in Singapore this year. Organised globally by the Falling Walls Foundation, the Singapore edition of the pitch competition will be presented by SGInnovate, and gives participants a platform to present their ideas to a panel of judges comprising distinguished academics, business leaders, and the general public – in just three minutes. 

Falling Walls Lab Singapore will take place on 23 Aug 2023, and is not restricted by any theme or topic; research, business models and initiatives from all disciplines are welcome. Pitches will be evaluated based on three key criteria:

• Breakthrough factor – How innovative is the proposed idea?
• Potential impact – How relevant is the idea to the discipline and beyond?
• Performance – How convincing was the presentation?

Following the Singapore edition of the event, a single winner will be selected to compete at the global Falling Walls Lab finale in Berlin, Germany, and participate in the Falling Walls Science Summit, where they will get to interact and network with the world’s movers and shakers of science, business, and policy-making. The Falling Walls Science Summit is held on 7-9 Nov annually, marking the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

“Breakthrough ideas can come from anywhere – backed by the application of science and research, these ideas underpin the development of emerging technologies that have immense potential to solve the biggest problems we face today,” said Veronica Puah, Executive Director – Community, SGInnovate. “Falling Walls Lab provides a platform for breakthrough thinkers to connect with a global community of innovators, understand the concerns of investors, policymakers and the wider public, and bring their ideas to life.”

Applications for Falling Walls Lab Singapore are now open, and interested parties may submit their applications before 23 Jul 2023. Candidates for the programme must be 18 years of age or older when submitting their applications, and currently enrolled in a university or have received their degrees recently (detailed eligibility requirements can be accessed here). As participation in the Lab is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, past participants are not eligible to apply. 

Besides competing against other local lab winners at the global Falling Walls Lab finale on 7 Nov 2023 in Berlin, the winning participant at Falling Walls Lab Singapore will also be able to take part in an exclusive extended programme, comprising different networking and learning platforms. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by partners of Falling Walls Lab Singapore. 

Winning ideas presented at past editions of Falling Walls Lab Singapore include:

• Breaking the wall of mosquito borne diseases [Srilahari Namani]
• Breaking the wall of vaccine development [Weijie Poh] 
• Creating kitchenware for the blind [Kevin Chiam Yong Sheng]

The Falling Walls Foundation is a non-profit organisation inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall, bringing a new generation of freedom. It promotes breakthrough thinking while building a community of leaders from science, business, and public sector networks to tackle pressing challenges and make groundbreaking ideas accessible to society. The international network of Falling Walls Labs includes renowned academic institutions from over 50 countries, and other international Lab locations in 2023 include Tel Aviv, Tanzania, Sydney and Cambridge.

For more information, please visit the official event page on the SGInnovate website:
https://www.sginnovate.com/event/falling-walls-lab-singapore

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About SGInnovate
At SGInnovate, we build and scale Deep Tech startups into high potential companies with global impact. We believe that hard global problems can be solved using Deep Tech, and Singapore, where we are based, is uniquely positioned to realise Deep Tech innovations that can tackle these challenges. We focus on adding tangible value to the Deep Tech startup ecosystem in two key areas – development of Human Capital and deployment of Investment Capital. With the support of our partners and co-investors, we back entrepreneurial scientists through equity-based investments, access to talent and business-building advice. Our efforts are prioritised around emerging technologies such as Advanced Manufacturing, AgriFood, Healthcare and Biomedical Sciences and Sustainability, which represent impactful and scalable answers to global challenges.

SGInnovate is a private-limited company wholly owned by the Singapore Government. For more information, please visit www.sginnovate.com.

For media queries, please contact
Zachary Wickeremasuriya, Manager, Communications, SGInnovate
[email protected] 

Alex Goh, Manager, Communications, SGInnovate
[email protected]