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In its Munich Economic Debates lecture series, the ifo Institute invites thought leaders from the worlds of academia and business to share with us their thoughts and concepts on current economic policy ideas and challenges. Every six months they invite four to five high-level speakers to Munich to present their position on a highly topical economic policy issue.

As part of the current series, Rafael Laguna de la Vera explains why Germany needs bold innovators to usher in a new era of entrepreneurship. What sets them apart, and how can they be identified and supported? He also discusses why research-driven entrepreneurs should be encouraged to invest in breakthrough innovations.

Those who would like to attend the event in person in Munich are invited to register by September 16. The talk will also be streamed live online.

The Falling Walls Science Summit 2026 brings together groundbreaking research, innovative ideas, and international thought leaders from science, business, politics, media, and civil society. Since 2009, the format has brought together interdisciplinary stakeholders to break down boundaries and develop visionary solutions to global challenges.

This year’s participants include, among others, Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt, CERN Director-General Mark Thomson, former NASA Chief Scientist Thomas Zurbuchen, as well as Federal Minister Dorothee Bär and Karsten Wildberger. SPRIND is also represented at the summit again this year.

The Drop in Malmö, one of Europe's leading climate tech conferences, brings together international climate experts, investors, startups, and scientists every year.

At this year's event, Till Moldenhauer (SPRIND) and Maxi Pethö-Schramm (HV Capital) will host a Ripple – The Drop's roundtable discussion format – on the topic of the European Sovereignty Playbook. They will explore whether European startups building strategically sovereign technologies and infrastructure can tap into both European public funding and global private capital – or if they ultimately have to choose.