Falling Walls Lab Shenzhen: Three minutes to change the world

In September 2023, the DAAD Representative Office Guangzhou in cooperation with the Consulate Generale of the Federal Republic of Germany in Guangzhou and the Shenzhen Technology University organized the Falling Walls Lab 2023 in Shenzhen.

Falling Walls Lab is a world-class pitch competition, networking forum, and steppingstone that brings together a diverse and interdisciplinary pool of students and early-career professionals by providing a stage for breakthrough ideas both globally and locally. Each year from March to October, renowned academic institutions around the world host local Falling Walls Labs to showcase the quality, diversity, and passion of their region’s most innovative minds.

Click to download the Program Booklet.

In three minutes each, participants are given the opportunity to present their solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time to peers, a high-calibre jury of experts from academia and business, and the general public.

WANG Shuai, PhD candidate of the Beijing Institute of Technology, presented his ambitious goal to send large structures into space.© SZTU

An ten-member jury, chaired by Melanie Spaethe, DAAD-Lecturer of the Sun Yat-sen University, evaluated each presentation based on three weighted criteria:
breakthrough factor – how innovative is the proposed idea?
relevance and impact – how relevant is the idea to the discipline and beyond?
performance – how convincing was the presentation?

The Jury members asks pressing questions to each candidate: the stakes are high and everyone could feel the buzzing atmosphere in the room.© SZTU

“It was not an easy decision to make. All chosen candidates had something unique to offer and are visionaries in their respected fields. But we are confident we have chosen the best person to represent the Falling Walls Lab Shenzhen in the final competition in Berlin”, Melanie Späthe (Organizer and Jury Chair) summarizes up the Jury Panels decision making burden.

The winners of the Falling Walls Lab Shenzhen 2023:

The First Prize:

HUANG Tianqi, Breaking the Wall of High Cost of Distributed Water Treatment

I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the German Consulate General, the DAAD and the TU Shenzhen for this prestigious recognition as the winner of the Falling Walls Lab Innovator Competition. The Falling Walls Lab stands as a shining example of an open-minded and outstanding international platform. It has provided innovators from around the world with a stage to break down the walls of conventionality and push the boundaries of knowledge. Today, I extend a warm invitation to all young researchers and innovators. Join us in this remarkable journey where ideas know no borders. Together, we can harness the power of innovation to address global challenges. The Falling Walls Lab is more than a competition; it is a vibrant community of forward-thinkers who believe in the boundless potential of human creativity. Let’s continue to collaborate, inspire, and invite more brilliant minds to contribute to our collective quest for a better future.

–HUANG Tianqi

The First Prize winner: Huang Tianqi© SZTU

The Second Prize:

Dr. HSIEH Yu-Lung, Breaking the Wall of Blood Test

It’s really exciting to see many entrepreneurial founders in this international annual event, and we all had a great time exchanging future technologies and new business models. Many senior judges’ evaluations help us meet the market fit for our products, so we will establish a PCT patent system based on these advices, adjust pricing strategies, and explore new market channels. Let our smart devices change our blood sampling methods to achieve painless, dynamic, and intelligent.

–Dr. Hsieh Yu-Lung

The Second Prize winner: Dr. Hsieh Yu-Lung© Hsieh Yu-Lung

The Third Prize:

WANG Xuan, Breaking the Wall of Phosphorus Source for Li-Battery

I’m deeply honored to be recognized at the Falling Walls Lab Shenzhen 2023. This journey of unraveling the potential of phosphorus sources in Li-batteries has been both challenging and rewarding. I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Xiao-yan Li, Prof. Lin Lin and Prof. Bing Li for their invaluable guidance and unwavering support. Also, my thanks go to Falling Walls Lab for offering a platform that celebrates innovation and the fusion of ideas. To all fellow innovators, let’s continue breaking walls for a brighter future.

–WANG Xuan

Organizers
DAAD Representative Office Guangzhou (German Academic Exchange Service)
Consulate Generale of the Federal Republic of Germany in Guangzhou

Shenzhen Technology University

Special thanks for the support from
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Nature Springer Verlag