Inspiration Stage
Quick-fire talks on today’s most exciting scientific discoveries.
Some of the most exciting research fits into just a few minutes. On the Inspiration Stage at our Festival Centre, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), you'll hear short popular science talks by early-career researchers on topics ranging from global inequalities and the growing impacts of AI to curing cancer. These TED-talk style sessions offer a window into today's cutting-edge research, with the chance to meet the emerging researchers driving science forward in Berlin and internationally. After each session, you'll get to meet the researchers, ask your own questions, and dig deeper into the ideas that stood out to you.
LINE UP 2026
Each block features four short talks, each opening a different perspective on this year's theme, In Touch, followed by space for questions and exchange. Talk titles are listed in the language they'll be given in.
SEE YOU THERE
- Date: 7–8 November 2026
- Location: Angie Stardust Foyer, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW)
- Admissions: If you have a Festival Centre Pass, you're all set. Drop in and out as you like: doors open at 12:00 and close at 19:30. Talks run every 15 minutes in blocks of four, and each block ends with a 20-minute Meet the Scientists session: a chance to chat, ask questions, and get to know the researchers in an informal setting.
SEE YOU THERE
- Date: 7–8 November 2026
- Location: Angie Stardust Foyer, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW)
- Admissions: If you have a Festival Centre Pass, you're all set. Drop in and out as you like: doors open at 12:00 and close at 19:30. Talks run every 15 minutes in blocks of four, and each block ends with a 20-minute Meet the Scientists session: a chance to chat, ask questions, and get to know the researchers in an informal setting.
MEET THE SPEAKERS
MEET THE MODERATORS & COACHES
The Inspiration Stage is a coached programme: speakers apply to take part, then work with experienced coaches in the run-up to the festival to shape their talk, making sure the science comes through clearly. The result: short talks that are polished, personal, and made to be enjoyed.
WANT TO TAKE THE STAGE IN 2027?
The Inspiration Stage is open to application; no experience in public speaking is necessary. Successful applicants get expert coaching and mentorship to refine their public speaking and prepare a 12-minute talk for the Festival Centre stage. It’s a chance for early-career researchers to share their research, sharpen their communication skills, and speak at one of Europe's leading science festivals. The Call for Participation will open in spring 2027. Explore the 2026 Call here and sign up to our newsletter here to get notified about opportunities to take the stage next year.
MORE WAYS TO EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMME
Our programme is organised into seven event tracks, grouped not by discipline, but by touchpoint: where research meets our bodies, decisions, relationships, and everyday life. These tracks run across the whole city, so wherever you find yourself during the festival, there's a thread to follow.
3-Day Festival Centre Pass