November 2026 PM Update from Germany
REPORT
By Sebastian Wieschowski
Nuremberg, Germany
PM Forum 2026: Why the Future of Project Management
Depends on People, Not Just Technology
Around 700 project professionals gathered in Munich on October 8–9, 2026, for a conference confronting a question that has become increasingly urgent across industries: How can organizations deliver results when technology, geopolitical conditions, and stakeholder expectations change faster than their plans? At PM Forum 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) was everywhere, yet the central message was surprisingly human. Stronger judgment, clearer leadership, and the courage to adapt may matter more than another methodology or digital tool.
Hosted by GPM Deutsche Gesellschaft für Projektmanagement, Germany’s professional association for project management and a member association of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), the two-day event took place at the Sofitel Munich Bayerpost. Sessions covered geopolitical foresight and autonomous AI agents, portfolio governance, behavioral biases, public administration, and the everyday pressures facing project leaders.
Across presentations, a recurring distinction emerged between executing a plan and creating lasting value. The challenge, speakers argued from different perspectives, is to recognize what really needs to change—and then make change possible.
From Good Ideas to Real Change
GPM President Prof. Dr. Peter Thuy framed that challenge in his opening remarks. What unites project professionals, he said, is their desire to make a difference. Ideas alone do not produce results: Project management supplies the structure, direction, and cooperation needed to turn intention into implementation. Thuy urged participants to see change as something they can help shape rather than merely endure. Technical capabilities would remain essential, but so would listening, building mutual understanding, and bringing people together. His message was one of confidence in the profession’s capacity to contribute, not complacency about the difficulties ahead.
German triathlon champion Anne Haug offered a vivid account of what adaptation can demand. For years, an Olympic medal was her defining ambition. Discipline, relentless training, and determination took her far, but not to the result she wanted. Only after letting go of that target and moving to long-distance competition did she find a different path to a world championship. Her point was not that perseverance is overrated. It was that perseverance becomes a liability when it prevents someone from acknowledging reality.
More…
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How to cite this paper: Wieschowski, S. (2026). PM Forum 2026: Why the Future of Project Management Depends on People, Not Just Technology. Report; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue XI, November. Available online at: https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/pmwj170-Nov2026-Wieschowski-PMForum-2026-future-people-not-just-technology-report.pdf
About the Author
Sebastian Wieschowski
Nuremberg, Germany
Sebastian Wieschowski is an editor at the German Project Management Association (GPM), the national member association of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) in Germany. He is responsible for developing GPM’s media relations and serves on the editorial board of PM Aktuell, a quarterly magazine distributed to more than 6,500 GPM members as well as external stakeholders.
Born in 1985 in northern Germany, Wieschowski developed an early fascination with journalism. His formal education began with active contributions to school and local newspapers. He later completed journalistic training at the Cologne Journalism School for Politics and Economics, earned a Master Level Diploma from the School of Journalism at Eichstaett University, and undertook professional training at a regional newspaper publisher. He also holds a postgraduate M.Sc. degree in Public Health from Hannover Medical School.
In addition to his freelance journalism for national and international outlets, including major German media such as DIE ZEIT, Wieschowski has held senior communications roles since 2012. He first worked as press officer for a private university specializing in social work, then for a psychiatric hospital, and later for an industrial company. In September 2024, he joined GPM’s Marketing and Public Relations department, where he focuses on strengthening the visibility and public relevance of project management through editorial formats such as storytelling.
Alongside his professional career, Sebastian Wieschowski is also active as a freelance author in his lifelong passion, numismatics. He writes for both German- and English-language specialist publications, and his work has been recognized three times by the Numismatic Literary Guild, a writers’ association based in the USA.
Sebastian is a reporter at heart and enjoys discovering inspiring stories and meet people from around the world, a goal that is particularly easy to pursue in the field of project management. He can be contacted at s.wieschowski@gpm-ipma.de.
To view other works by Sebastian, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/sebastian-wieschowski/
