YOUR RESEARCH DESERVES A STAGE
Pitch your scientific breakthrough in 3 minutes, gain visibility beyond academia, connect with experts and represent rhineland-palatinate at the Falling Walls Summit 2026 in Berlin!
For students, researchers, doctoral candidates and early career professionals from all disciplines. No direct affiliation with RPTU required – international applications welcome!
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APPLICATION DEADLINE: 29 March
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Event: 29. April 2026 | 14:00 – 17:00 at 42kaiserslautern
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2:30 MINUTES Pitch + 30 sec for questions
*The Falling Walls Lab Rhineland-Palatinate will be offered subject to funding approval.
1: Apply
Submit your breakthrough via the Falling Walls application form. They check the eligibility criteria.
Deadline: 29 March 2026
2: Selection
The start-up office selects the participants in close consultation with experts.
Notification: 01 April 2026
3: Prepare
Use our slide template and polish your 2:30 min breakthrough story (English, on-site). We offer a pitch workshop before the event.
Workshop: 14 April 2026
4:Pitch
Present your idea to our high-caliber jury and audience consisting of representatives from science, business, and society.
Pitch-Day: 29 April 2026
5:Off to Berlin
The winner of the RLP-Lab represents Rhineland- Palatinate at the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin (as part of the Falling Walls Summit). The winner will gain access to exclusive training courses, workshops, and a network consisting of international representatives from the fields of science, innovation, and industry.
We will cover your travel expenses.
Falling Walls Summit: 06 – 09 November 2026
What is A Falling Walls Lab?
Falling Walls Lab is an international pitch competition for students, researchers, and early career professionals from all disciplines. Participants present their scientific breakthrough or innovative idea in just three minutes to a high-level jury and an interdisciplinary audience. The best presenters from each regional Lab qualify for the global finale in Berlin and become part of an international network of emerging innovators.
The Falling Walls Lab is organized by the Falling Walls Foundation, a Berlin-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting science, innovation, and dialogue between research, business, politics, and society.
FAQ – The Lab
Here you will find all general information about the lab.
What is the Falling Walls lab?
Falling Walls Lab is an international pitch competition for students and early-career professionals. Participants present their scientific breakthrough, innovative idea or research-based solution in a 3-minute pitch in front of a high-level jury. The winner of the regional Lab represents Rhineland-Palatinate at the global Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin. We will cover the travel expenses to Berlin.
What is a "breakthrough"?
A breakthrough is a scientific discovery, innovative method, technology, or idea that has the potential to overcome an existing barrier and create meaningful impact in science, society, or industry. Your idea does not need to be fully commercialised or finished, but it should be original, relevant and future-oriented.
Who can apply?
You can apply if you are:
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A student (Bachelor or Master)
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A PhD candidate or postdoc
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A researcher or scientific staff member
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An early-career professional
Applications are open internationally and across all disciplines. There is no requirement to have a connection to the RPTU or the German research landscape; international applications are also welcome.
Can teams apply?
No- you participate in the event as an individual. Applications are open internationally. The Falling Walls Foundation assigns applicants to the appropriate regional Lab based on eligibility.
Do I need to be affiliated with RPTU or a university in Rhineland-Palatinate?
No. The Falling Walls Foundation reserves the right to refer international applications to a suitable lab closer to the applicant’s location.
Do I have to pay for my own travel expenses to the final in Berlin?
No. As the organising institution, the Start-up Office will cover all travel and accommodation costs for the winner of the Lab in Rhineland-Palatinate to attend the final in Berlin.
FAQ – Application
Here you will find all the information you need to apply.
How do i apply?
Applications are submitted via the official Falling Walls Lab online platform. The application includes:
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- Description of your breakthrough idea
- CV
- Proof of your current status (e.g. enrollment or employment)
What is the application deadline?
29 March 2026.
How are participants selected?
Applications are reviewed by the Falling Walls Foundation based on formal criteria (once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, CV, employment, career status, etc.). The start-up office selects the participants in close consultation with experts from science, society, and industry.
how are participants selected?
We select participants based on the following criteria: breakthrough factor, relevance and impact of their scientific findings. In order to make an appropriate scientific assessment, we work closely with subject matter experts.
Applicants will be informed about the selection by 29 April 2026.
FAQ – Pitch
What are the rules for the pitch?
How long is the pitch?
The total presentation time is 3 minutes, including:
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2:30 minutes pitch
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30 seconds for jury questions or comments
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After 2:30 minutes, your final slide will automatically switch to the “Questions” slide.
What language should the presentation in?
All presentations must be in English.
How many slides are allowed?
Exactly four slides:
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- Title slide
- Content slide (Problem)
- Content slide (Solution)
- Question slide
Additional slides are not permitted. The guidelines of Falling Walls Lab apply.
Can i modify the slide template?
No. Please:
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- Use only the provided template
- Do not change layout, fonts or colours
- Do not add additional elements or logos
The presentation must not exceel 10MB. Avoid videos and heavy animations.
Is there any support to prepare for the pitch?
Yes. To help you prepare for your presentation, we offer a free pitch training on-site in Kaiserslautern for all selected participants.
The workshop focuses on:
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Structuring your 3-minute story clearly and convincingly
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Communicating your breakthrough and its impact to a broad audience
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Improving delivery, timing, and stage presence
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The training will be led by Katharina Boguslawski (Pitch Insider), an experienced pitch coach.
Format
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In-person workshop
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Location: Kaiserslautern
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Participation: free of charge for all Falling Walls Lab participants
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Further details and the exact date will be shared with the selected candidates after the selection process.Expected date: 14 April 2026
FAQ – Evaluation
How will my presentation be evaluated?
How does the jury evaluate the pitches?
The jury evaluates each pitch on a scale from 0–5 based on three weighted criteria
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- 50% Breakthrough Factor: Originality and innovation potential
- 40% Relevance & Impact: Target group, societal or scientific impact
- 10% Structure & Performance: Clarity, feasibility and presentation quality
What does "impact" mean?
The jury considers:
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- Who benefits from the idea
- Whether the impact is broad or deep
- Short-term vs. long-term effects
OUR JURY
Prof. Dr. Malte Drescher
President of RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau
Prof. Dr. Antje Krause
President of Bingen University of Applied Sciences, Professor of Bioinformatics
Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Dieter Rombach
Chairman of the Board, Science and Innovation Alliance Kaiserslautern e.V.
Sabine Mesletzky
Managing Director, Rhineland-Palatinate Innovation Agency
Dr. Lena-Sophie Schütter
Investment Managerin, Hightech Gründerfond
Breaking the Wall of Molecular monotomoy: Karen da le vega-Hernández
Breaking the wall of alternative plastics: Joseph bedard
breaking the wall of mobile magnetic imaging: Julian Bopp
You have questions or need further informations?
Please contact us via email: theisen[at]gruendungsbuero.info
