Home » Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland Finalists Represent Finland at the Global Finale in Berlin

Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland Finalists Represent Finland at the Global Finale in Berlin

2.12.2025

Breaking Barriers Through Ideas

Innovation thrives when ideas cross borders. This year, two finalists from Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland had the opportunity to do just that—representing Finland at the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin and sharing their breakthroughs with an international audience of scientists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. Their journey reflects the power of collaboration and the importance of creating platforms that bring bold ideas to the forefront.

From Kuopio to Berlin: The Journey

After the successful Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland event on September 19 in Kuopio, our finalists began preparing for the global stage. To ensure they were ready for the challenge, a pitch training workshop was organized in collaboration with Nostetta Ventures, UEF, Business Center, and Business Kuopio. This session helped refine their presentations and boost their pitch for the grand stage.

Read about the Falling Walls Lab eastern Finland event on September 19^th.

Representing Finland Among Global Innovators

Our finalists, Arash Mirhashemi and Nithin Sadeesh, proudly represented Finland at the Falling Walls Lab Global Finale, joining 98 other finalists from 60 different countries across the world. This year’s competition was truly global: 82 local organizers across 60 countries received more than 2,750 applications, and 100 winners of these local labs traveled to Berlin for the Falling Walls Science Summit. Each finalist presented their groundbreaking ideas in three-minute pitches to a distinguished panel of judges, showcasing creativity and scientific excellence.

“Falling Walls is unlike traditional scientific conferences that stay within narrow fields. In Berlin you meet researchers from every discipline, Nobel laureates to early-career talents, all in one place. The event is impeccably organized, full of energy, and designed to make people connect and enjoy the experience — even the sessions have their own fun twists. It’s also a major networking hub, with research organizations and funders from across the world, making it an exceptional place to build collaborations and learn where science is heading.

Opportunities like this matter. Publishing is important, but it doesn’t give young researchers exposure to this kind of community, motivation, or visibility. I’m genuinely grateful that Business Kuopio brought the Falling Walls Lab back to Finland and opened the door for us to participate in such a unique and inspiring event.”  Arash Mirhashemi, Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland finalist

Highlights from Berlin

The program in Berlin was intense and inspiring, offering opportunities to learn, network, and share ideas. Here’s a look at the key moments:

• November 5: Welcome reception at the Embassy of Italy in Berlin, featuring remarks from the Ambassador, Falling Walls Foundation leadership, and a workshop led by Springer Nature experts.
• November 6: All 100 finalists presented their pitches to the judges, and the top three global winners were announced in the evening.
• November 7: Finalists attended the “Research in Germany” info session and joined excursions exploring Germany’s research landscape.
• November 8: Engaging panel discussions and scientific debates brought together experts from diverse fields.
• November 9: Breakthrough Day showcased category winners and renowned scientists on stage, celebrating innovation and science at its best.

For our finalists, this experience was not only about pitching—it was about connecting with global innovators, learning from leading research institutions, and gaining visibility on an international platform.

“Being selected to present our research as one of the top 100 global breakthrough ideas at Falling Walls Science Summit, Berlin 2025 was truly surreal. Sharing our work on NIRSense and connecting with brilliant minds reminded me why I love research, pushing boundaries and breaking walls. On a personal note, this was one of the best experiences of my life, and I wish I could relive it all over again. Falling Walls is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I would encourage everyone with an idea that could benefit the society to give it a try, you’ll leave inspired, connected, and reminded of why we do science”. Nithin Sadeesh, Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland finalist.

Looking Ahead: Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland 2026

The success of this year’s event reinforces our commitment to continue organizing Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland in 2026. Together with our outstanding partners, we aim to expand the network to more universities across Finland, offering researchers and students the opportunity to present their breakthroughs on both national and global stages.

Beyond academia, this platform also opens doors for startups to showcase their innovations internationally, fostering collaboration and visibility beyond Finland’s borders.

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The main partners of the Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland 2025 were: UEF, Business Kuopio, Novapolis, Business Joensuu, Saastamoinen foundation, Kuopio region Chamber of Commerce, Nostetta Ventures, FiBAN, Business Center North Savo, Hub Panostamo.

Follow FWL Eastern Finland on LinkedIn for updates.

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Author: Parastoo Jalili, business advisor, Business Kuopio.