Dal News

Experience the global pitch competition where the future unfolds before your eyes

Andrew Riley - September 12, 2024

Dr. Joseph Bedard won top prize in the Falling Walls Lab Pitches competition in Berlin, Germany last year during his doctoral studies at Dal.

Imagine sitting in a room where the next world-changing idea is unveiled. You’re invited to do just that at Falling Walls Lab – Atlantic Canada on September 17 at 6 p.m. This lightning-fast Dal Innovation Week event will bring together 14 daring young innovators from Atlantic Canada to face a daunting challenge—making the case for why their breakthrough idea has the potential to change the world for the better, in just three minutes.

Each pitch is a compact, electrifying burst of innovation, a sneak peek into the disruptive ideas that could reshape our world—giving you a front-row seat to the future before it arrives.

Register for free

“The challenges our world faces today are formidable, but within this new generation of thinkers, there is an undeniable spark of hope,” says Dr. Alice Aiken, Dalhousie’s vice president of research and innovation, whose office sponsors and organizes the event. “These young innovators are ready to share their visions for a better tomorrow. All they need is a platform to amplify their voices. That’s what our Falling Walls Lab is for.”

What’s on the line? The winner secures an expenses-paid trip to the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, Germany, on November 7, to present their innovation on a global stage to an audience including global thought leaders and Nobel Laureates. Cash prizes supported by Invest Nova Scotia will also be presented. It's a chance to take a local spark of inspiration and ignite a global conversation. Last year, a Dalhousie PhD student won the global finals, prevailing over nearly 100 competitors from around the world. It could happen again.

The topics? A range of solutions aimed at addressing our most urgent needs. You’ll hear revolutionary approaches to fighting food insecurity, fresh takes on battery technology that could drive the next generation of clean energy, and ingenious solutions to plastics pollution. From mussel farming and sustainable concrete to deforestation and global shipping you’ll get a glimpse of a future that could be—if we are bold enough to pursue it.