Brain City Berlin 2023: the Top 10 Events

Many exciting and high-calibre events are once again on the Brain City Berlin event calendar this year. Whether the Berlin Science Week, Long Night of Science, Transfer Week or World Health Summit – we present our favourites to you:
 

1. “Science, naturally!” (14 February 2023))
   “The end of certainties – and the tasks of science” is the title of the panel discussion that the Museum of Natural History and the Berlin Social Science Centre (WZB) are holding as this year’s kick-off of the “Science, naturally!” series of events in the dinosaur hall of the museum. It is about the fears and increasing insecurity in society in the face of war, climate change and pandemics as well as the question: How can science respond to this. Start: 19:00, participation free of charge.
    
2. MedTech Pitch Day 2023 (29 March 2023)
   Start-ups from the Medtech or HealthTech sectors can introduce themselves to investors and company decision-makers at the MedTech Pitch Day in March. In addition, the event offers founders the opportunity to talk to potential investors and medical technology companies and to attend workshops. In 2022, around 150 start-ups took part in the pitch sessions. The MedTech Pitch Day is organised by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Dräger, B.Braun, Techniker Krankenkasse and the Health Innovation Port at the Berliner Medizinische Gesellschaft in Luisenstrasse in Berlin-Mitte. The closing date for applications of those interested in pitching is 31 January 2023.
    
3. DMEA Connecting Digital Health (25 to 27 April 2023)
   What moves Healthcare IT today and tomorrow? As Europe’s largest event in the field of health IT, DMEA Connecting Digital Health brings together all facets of digital healthcare in one place: the Berlin exhibition halls. In 2020, the DMEA, which was held in person for the first time in two years, recorded more than 11,000 participants, over 500 exhibitors and 300 national and international speakers. Every year, the DMEA Young Talent Award honours the best bachelor and master theses on the subject of “digitisation in healthcare”. Graduates can apply until 21 February 2023.
    
4. #BIONNALE 2023 (16 to 17 May 2023)
   It’s about professional exchange, matchmaking and information: Around 1,000 representatives from science and industry came together at BIONNALE last year, as the two-day event is the largest networking event for the life sciences and healthcare sector in Berlin and Brandenburg. This year, just as many participants are expected. In 2023, the Speed Lecture Award will once again be presented as part of the BIONNALE. The award honours the best pitch from young scientists in the field of life sciences. The finalists will receive pitch training and present their projects to the audience on 16 May. The closing date for applications for the Speed Lecture Award is 20 February 2023. BIONNALE, which will take place in person on 16 May (location tbd) and virtually on 17 May, is organised by the cluster management HealthCapital Berlin-Brandenburg. Participation is free of charge.
    
5. Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 (17 to 25 June 2023)
   What does science have to do with sport? A great deal! Scientists can also apply for the Special Olympics World Games, which will take place in Berlin this year – and therefore in Germany for the first time. We are looking for ideas for theses, accompanying research projects – and of course volunteers. The objective of the world’s largest inclusive sports event: To give people with intellectual disabilities more recognition and enable them to participate more in society. Around 7,000 athletes from more than 190 nations are expected to take part in the Special Olympics World Games in the sports metropolis of Berlin. This year’s motto: #TogetherUnbeatable.
    
6. Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften (17 June 2023)
   The #LNDW is a highlight of the year for many people from Berlin and Brandenburg. Every year, more than 60 science and research institutions in Berlin and Potsdam take part in the Night of Science and open their doors to visitors. The program includes around 2,000 readings, lectures, workshops, performances and experiments. Brain City Berlin is once again a partner. Scientific institutions that would like to be part of the LNDW 2023 can still contact the office.
    
7. TransferWeek (September 2023, tbd)
   Shaping innovations together and providing impetus for the exchange between science and business – that is the goal of TransferWeek 2023. This year, leading minds from science and research will once again discuss future-oriented topics in a practical manner with innovative companies from Berlin and Brandenburg at the five-day event. In addition, Transfer Week offers plenty of opportunities for networking. Regional Transfer offices also introduce themselves and explain their services. Participation in the exclusively virtual TransferWeek 2023 is free of charge.
    
8. World Health Summit (15 to 17 October 2023)
   Experts from science, politics, business and civil society discuss inspiring ideas and solutions for improving global healthcare at the annual World Health Summit in Berlin. The conference is one of the most important strategic platforms on global health. The participants make recommendations for policy action and formulate demands in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The World Health Summit was founded in 2009 to mark the 300th anniversary of the Charité. Goal of the summit: To improve global health through open dialogue and collaboration while preserving scientific independence. This year, more than 4,000 participants and over 300 speakers from around 100 countries are expected to attend the World Health Summit at the JW Marriott Hotel in Berlin-Tiergarten.
    
9. Berlin Science Week (1 to 10 November 2023)
   Every year in November, the who’s who of the scientific world meets in the Brain City. At numerous locations in the city, scientific organisations from Germany and abroad present the results of cutting-edge research. In panels, talks, workshops, science slams, exhibitions, performances and live streams, the ten-day international science festival will show that Berlin is one of the world’s leading, creative and extremely vibrant science locations. The centre of the festival is the CAMPUS at the Museum of Natural History, Berlin. The Falling Walls Conference Berlin is traditionally linked to the Berlin Science Week. Here, groundbreaking scientific findings are presented and discussed that could help to meet the Great Challenges of our time successfully.

10. Berlin Brandenburg Innovation Award 2023 (24 November 2023)
    The application phase for the Berlin Brandenburg Innovation Award 2023 will start on 17 April. The award, which is given jointly by the States of Berlin and Brandenburg every year, aims to highlight innovative products, concepts and solutions from the five clusters of the Joint Innovation Strategy of the States of Berlin and Brandenburg (innoBB 2025) and therefore highlight the high scientific and economic potential of the capital region. In 2022, 155 companies and cooperations based in Berlin and Brandenburg submitted proposals for the award, which is endowed with a total of 50,000 Euro. The closing date for applications for the Berlin Brandenburg Innovation Award 2023 is 3 July. The award ceremony will take place on 24 November. (vdo)