Berlin call to South African innovators

The Falling Walls Lab is an annual event that provides a platform for young researchers, academics, entrepreneurs and professionals to share their breakthrough ideas, research and prototypes which have the potential to shape our society in the foreseeable future.

This year the competition, organised by global strategy consulting firm A.T. Kearney, will take place on Friday 12 September at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Johannesburg. The deadline for essay submissions from applicants from any discipline, as long as they are under 35, is 25 August.

In three minute speeches at the Lab, shortlisted entrants will seek to convince a high profile jury of the urgency, power and feasibility of their breakthrough. The travel expenses of candidates living outside the Gauteng province will be sponsored by A.T. Kearney.

The winner will then compete in the global Falling Walls Finale in Berlin and will represent South Africa at the Falling Walls Conference: a conference attended by the world's forward looking scientists, entrepreneurs and Nobel Laureates.

The winners of the Lab in Berlin receive cash prizes. However, the real prize is winning the title of Innovator of The Year and presenting at the Conference.

"This year the Falling Walls Lab is special as it will mark 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall," says Wim Plaizier, partner from A.T. Kearney in Johannesburg.

To mark this, the jury will include the German Ambassador to South Africa and a senior representative from the Ministry of International Relations, as well as leading South African executives, government ministers and academics.

Previous winners of the South African Falling Walls Lab include John Woodland, a PhD student at the University of Cape Town. John went on to win third place at the 2013 Finale in Berlin with his concept of a fluorescent probe to accelerate the detection of malaria.

Plaizier says "We are committed to help build a better South Africa and we believe one of the best ways to do this is to promote innovation, academic research and intellectual capital which will address the challenges facing our country. The Falling Walls Lab in Johannesburg is an excellent way to engage with emerging and breakthrough ideas."

For more, go to www.falling-walls.com