Falling Walls Lab Milan, Italy 2026: the international pitch competition returns to Bicocca
On May 21st, the University of Milano-Bicocca will host the Italian edition of the global competition for the eighth consecutive year.
Three minutes to present an idea capable of breaking a wall. This is the core format of Falling Walls Lab, the international pitch competition that each year challenges researchers, PhD students, and professionals with an ambitious goal: answer the question, “what are the next walls to break in science and society?” - whether technological, scientific, or social.
This year, the Italian edition will welcome 15 participants, selected from 53 applications submitted from across Italy, representing a wide range of research and innovation fields. Each participant will have three minutes to present their idea or project in English before a jury of professionals and an international audience.
The winner will represent Italy at the Falling Walls Science summit in Berlin, taking place from November 6 to 9, 2026, where they will compete with finalists from Labs around the world in front of leading experts from academia and industry across more than 100 countries.
The event is organized by Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca in partnership with Fondazione U4i, MUSA scarl, Università degli Studi di Milano, Università degli studi di Bergamo, Università degli Studi di Pavia,Università degli studi di Padova, Politecnico di Bari, Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia, Università Cattolica di Milano, Politecnico di Torino, Università di Torino, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Contamination Lab Università di Pisa,Social Innovation Teams, BiM, Netval, MITO Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Scientifica Venture Capital e Forest Valley.
PARTICIPATION: Falling Walls Lab Milan, Italy 2026 will take place on May 21st at the Bicocca Pavilion, located at viale Piero e Alberto Pirelli 10.
The event is open to the public upon registration. A free drink will be offered to participants at the end of the event.
For questions or further information: [email protected]