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Co-presented by the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide (UoA) and the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, this year’s Falling Walls Lab competition saw six entrants present innovative solutions to the question, “"As a result of scientific, technological, economic, and sociological breakthroughs, which are the next walls to fall?".

Falling Walls Lab is a global pitch competition and networking forum organised annually by the , based in Berlin. Presenters have three minutes to share their breakthrough study, research or innovative ideas to a jury panel and audience members, providing them with a unique opportunity to become the next big success story in innovation.

This year’s presenters and topics were:

• Dr Stephanie Allison-Logan, Co-Founder and CEO, Sprout Materials: Breaking the Wall of Sustainable Plastics
• Ms Tiffanwy Klippel-Cooper, Owner and Lead Research Consultant, KC Research and Solutions: Breaking the Wall of First Aid in Space
• Mr Amin Talebian Kiakalaieh, PhD Candidate, School of Chemical Engineering, UoA: Breaking the Wall of Ocean Plastic Pollution
• Dr Marta Khomyn, Lecturer, Business Analytics, Adelaide Business School, UoA: Breaking the Wall of Emotions in Finance
• Dr Harshal Patel, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Flinders ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥: Breaking the Wall of Polymer Waste
• Dr Asara Senaratne, Lecturer (Teaching and Research), College of Science and Engineering, Flinders ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥: Breaking the Wall of Virus Dominance

Congratulations to the three South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n finalists – Dr Stephanie Allison-Logan, Dr Asara Senaratne and Dr Harshal Patel – who will compete at a national event in Canberra on Friday 30 August.

The winner of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n event will travel to Berlin for the international final in November. 

Thank you also to our jury members who evaluated this year’s presentations:

• Professor Jessica Gallagher, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement), UoA
• Associate Professor Fanke Peng, PhD SFHEA, Professorial Lead and Enterprise Fellow of Product Design, UniSA Creative, UniSA; Deputy Director of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments.
• Dr Louise Smith, Manager, Policy & Performance, Department of State Development, Government of South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥.
• Mr Matthew Williams, Honorary Consul for Germany in South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥; State Manager SA and NT for Consult ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥.
• Ms Onnie Chan, Chief Student Entrepreneur, ThincLab, UoA; Founder and Director of Women in Creative Technologies.