Animal tracking for the reduction of pesticides wins the second final of Falling Walls Lab in Madrid

On September 21st took place in Madrid a joint event of the Secretary of State of Research, Development and Innovation, FECYT and the German Service of Academic Exchange (DAAD) in Madrid, in order to celebrate the scientific and innovation collaboration between Spain and Germany.

In this session, inaugurated by the Secretary of State of Research, Development and Innovation and the Ambassador of Germany in Madrid, the main results of the report “The scientific production of the collaboration between Spain and Germany 2005-2014” were presented. The results clearly showed how the quality of the scientific production improves notably when researchers in both countries work together.

Finally, the second national final of Falling Walls Lab, a contest of scientific ideas that seeks to break down the walls of global challenges in areas such as health, energy or poverty, took place. The national competitions of Falling Walls Lab allow every year that candidates from all corners of the world compete in Berlin for the "Young Innovator of the Year" award. For the occasion, ten young minds presented their visions and innovative projects, going from space exploration to rehabilitation of patients after strokes. The candidates had three minutes to present their ideas and answer the questions of a jury composed of academics, project managers, entrepreneurs and journalists. 

The winner of Falling Walls Madrid was María de los Reyes Salas Fernández, from the University of Seville and the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology, for her project on the latest advances in animal tracking techniques, which offer the possibility of monitoring the biocontrol that they exert storks on locust pests, which could potentially lead to more selective use of pesticides.
Reyes Salas will travel to Berlin for the international final of Falling walls Lab, along with the winner of the final that took place a few days earlier in Barcelona.

 The winner of Falling Walls Lab Madrid, Maria de los Reyes Salas Fernández, with Professor Rainer Dietrich of the University of Heidelberg.