Canada will lead a high-level delegation to this year’s Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, highlighting its research and innovation capabilities and seeking to deepen partnerships with Germany and Europe.
Canada will participate as the partner country at the 2026 Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, where it plans to showcase its research, science, innovation and technology capabilities.
The summit, founded in 2009, has become a major international forum for scientific breakthroughs and interdisciplinary exchange, bringing together leaders from science, business, politics, media and civil society.
The Canadian delegation, led by senior government officials, will include university presidents, research-funding leaders and other representatives of the country’s science and innovation ecosystem.
The participation comes as Canada and Germany mark 75 years of diplomatic relations and 55 years of cooperation in science and technology. Canada’s association with the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme in 2024 has also strengthened opportunities for research collaboration between Canadian and European institutions.
A dedicated Canada Pavilion will be open on November 6 and 7, providing a platform to showcase Canadian research and innovation and connect representatives from academia, industry and government with international partners.
The summit will feature its core formats — Falling Walls Pitches, Falling Walls Circle and Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs — designed to promote collaboration across science, industry, government and civil society.
Strengthening transatlantic research ties
Jürgen Mlynek, chairman of the Falling Walls Foundation, said the summit was honoured to showcase Canada’s scientific expertise and academic breakthroughs.
“We look forward to welcoming a large number of Canadian University presidents and other leaders to strengthen this important part of transatlantic science cooperation,” he said.
Andreas Kosmider, CEO of the Falling Walls Foundation, said Canada’s participation would help deepen ties between the Canadian and European research and development ecosystems.
“Given the recent geopolitical dynamics, strong research partnerships between trusted partners are of increasing importance. We look forward to a fruitful European-Canadian exchange of groundbreaking ideas and expect numerous new cooperative projects to be kicked off at Falling Walls.”
Mélanie Joly, Canada’s minister of industry and minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, said Canadian researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs were contributing to solutions to global challenges while driving economic growth.
“As the partner country for the 2026 Falling Walls Science Summit, Canada is proud to showcase our world-class talent and strengthen partnerships with Germany and our European allies that will advance discovery, accelerate innovation and build a more prosperous future for people on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Evan Solomon, minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation and minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, said stronger international partnerships could help move emerging technologies from research into commercial applications.
“By strengthening partnerships with Germany and our European partners, we can accelerate discovery, advance emerging technologies and help bring breakthrough ideas from the lab to the marketplace. Together, we are creating the conditions for innovation, investment and long-term economic growth.”
Canada’s chief science adviser, Mona Nemer, said international collaboration was essential to scientific progress.
“Canada is deeply committed to international scientific collaboration because the pursuit of knowledge knows no borders. We are honoured that Canada has been named the partner country for the Falling Walls Summit 2026, and we look forward to sharing Canadian ingenuity, building new partnerships, and helping turn today’s ideas into tomorrow’s solutions.”
Discover more from Pluboard
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.