Falling Walls Lab Münster

APPLICATIONS FOR 2026 ARE NOW OPEN - APPLY HERE 

Do you have an innovative research project, a promising start-up idea, a transfer initiative or a social innovation with the potential to make a difference? Then apply for the Falling Walls Lab Münster 2026 and present your idea in just three minutes to an interdisciplinary jury and audience.

The winner will qualify for the global finale and become part of the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, one of the world's leading events dedicated to research breakthroughs and societal progress.

Falling Walls Lab Münster will take place on September 11, 2026, at the REACH - EUREGIO Start-up Center of the University of Münster. Application deadline: 01 August 2026. 

You can find all information in this flyer.

© Falling Walls

About the format

The Falling Walls Lab is part of the international Falling Walls Foundation based in Berlin. Each year, leading academic institutions around the world host local Labs to showcase emerging talent and innovative ideas. In 2025, more than 2,750 applicants participated in 82 Falling Walls Labs across 60 countries. The University of Münster joined this international network for the first time in the 2025 season.

How to apply

Submit your application via the central Falling Walls Lab platform. Selected applicants will be invited to pitch their breakthrough ideas live in Münster – and one winner will advance to the global finale in Berlin.

Applications close on 01 August 2026.

  • Who can apply?

    Applications are open to students, doctoral candidates, postdocs, and other early-career professionals. Early-stage start-up initiatives and aspiring academic entrepreneurs are also explicitly encouraged to apply with their ideas. Applicants must meet the official eligibility criteria. All presentations must be held in English.

    We are looking for breakthrough ideas or projects from all fields and disciplines that:

    • challenge existing approaches
    • demonstrate strong innovation potentia
    • address relevant scientific, societal, or technological challenges
    • are clearly communicated and impactful
    • Ideas can be at an early stage – what matters is their originality and potential.

  • Why participate? 

    Participation in the Falling Walls Lab Münster offers:

    the opportunity to present your research or idea to a wider audience

    • connect with leading experts from academia, business, and societ
    • qualify for the global finale in Berlin and meet the brightest minds worldwide
    • become part of a global community of emerging innovators
    • increase your visibility within and beyond the University of Münster
    • access Münster’s growing innovation ecosystem around the REACH – Start-up Center
    • receive training in a professional pitch preparation session (details coming soon)

  • Event details

    The Falling Walls Lab Münster brings together selected participants, high-level jury members, and guests from academia, business, and society. At its core are the live pitches of the finalists, followed by the jury’s evaluation and the award ceremony.

    The Lab is embedded in a curated programme that extends beyond the competition itself. A keynote and panel discussion will provide perspectives on current developments at the interface of science and innovation, framed around the theme "From breakthrough to impact – which walls still hold us back?". The discussion will bring together perspectives from academia, entrepreneurship, and innovation support. The programme concludes with a networking flying dinner, offering opportunities for exchange and new connections within and beyond the regional innovation ecosystem.

    Hosted at the REACH – Euregio Start-up Center, Münster’s central hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, the Lab offers a dynamic and inspiring environment for exchange and visibility.

  • Attend as a guest – is that possible?

    Would you like to join the event without presenting an idea? Guests are warmly invited to attend the event free of charge but places are limited. Register as a guest: https://indico.uni-muenster.de/e/fallingwallslab2026

Looking back: Falling Walls Lab Münster 2025

Photos

© Timo Adiek
  • © Timo Adiek
  • © Timo Adiek
  • © Timo Adiek
  • © Timo Adiek
  • © Timo Adiek
  • © Timo Adiek
  • © Timo Adiek
  • © Timo Adiek
  • © Timo Adiek

Following a successful premiere in 2025, the University of Münster is proud to host Falling Walls Lab for the second time.

On 11 September 2025, Münster hosted its first Falling Walls Lab – in the middle of the city and high above the rooftops of Münster, at the FIEGE X-Dock. The winner was Elham Iravani, a doctoral researcher at the University of Wuppertal. With her project idea, aiming to make early-stage autism diagnosis more accessible, user-friendly, and cost-effective. On 6 November, she successfully presented this innovation at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin.

We are excited to welcome the next generation of breakthrough ideas in 2026.