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The Falling Walls 2021: Amane Kimura and Tatsuya Honda awarded the Winner

The Falling Walls, an annual global event held in Berlin every November, has awarded breakthrough research, which aims to bring down the existing walls in science and society and to identify the impacts on society. In 2021, there were approximately 1,000 nominees from 115 countries, and eight researchers nominated by JST were selected as the Finalists. Furthermore, Mr. Amane Kimura and Mr. Tatsuya Honda were awarded the Winner among the Finalists. Finally, a Winner from each of the 10 categories won the Science Breakthroughs of the Year.

  • Winner: Two Awardees

    ・Tatsuya Honda, Ontenna Project Leader, the Future Society & Technology Unit, FUJITSU LIMITED
    Category 6: Future Learning (formerly Digital Education)
    Winner Video:https://falling-walls.com/discover/videos/inclusive-design-teaching-deaf-students-to-programm-sound-experiences/

    Reasons for the Nomination
    Mr. Honda has developed the Ontenna device, which allows users to sense sounds with their bodies. It has been provided to many schools for students with limited hearing, with free educational programming modules for the device. Students can use the program to customize the vibration and light-based feedback of their Ontenna to react to sounds they want to experience, and those that are deaf or hard of hearing have opportunities to learn programming.

    ・Amane Kimura, CEO, Algal Bio Co. Ltd.
    Category 9: Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture)
    Video session in the Falling Walls Venture category:https://youtu.be/lzELmaJFkis?t=3592

    Reasons for the Nomination
    Algal Bio has a library of 3000 microalgae strains selected and bred by irradiating with a heavy ion beam, and has the know-how to set culture conditions. By using these strains for alternative proteins, rare fatty acids, functional pigments, biofuels, etc., Algal Bio can protect people's health and tackle challenges facing humankind such as food shortages due to population explosion and depletion of fossil fuels. Its unique breeding technology can unlock algae's potential for a better future.

    Finalists: Eight awardees (posted by category)

  • Category 1: Life Science
    ・Yasuhiro Tsujimoto, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences

    Category 3: Engineering and Technology
    ・Chiharu Tokoro, Waseda University

    Category 5: Art and Science
    ・Masaaki Miyasako, Tokyo University of the Arts

    Category 6: Future Learning (formerly Digital Education)
    ・Kenji Suzuki, University of Tsukuba
    ・Shogo Fukushima, The University of Tokyo
    ・Tatsuya Honda, FUJITSU LIMITED

    Category 9: Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture)
    ・Amane Kimura, Algal Bio Co. Ltd.
    ・Xiaojun Sun, BionicM Inc.

About Falling Walls:
Since its inception, the conference has become a unique global platform connecting science, business, and society through a shared commitment to create breakthrough solutions to challenges across borders and disciplines. Each year, 20 of the world’s most forward-thinking scientists and boldest visionaries take to the stage to showcase their scientific breakthroughs from the broadest possible range of disciplines.

＊List of the Breakthroughs of the Year:https://falling-walls.com/press-releases/109869/