News about FORUM Institut’s training courses and seminars

On this page, you will find current news on professional development, courses, market trends, and study results. The focus is on topics that are particularly relevant for professionals and executives. These include new learning trends, changes in individual industries, developments in the training market, as well as studies and analyses.

 

Studies, rankings, and strong results A particular focus of this page is on studies and awards in which FORUM Institut has received positive recognition. These results provide guidance and show which quality features are recognised in the market. This gives interested readers a well-founded overview of how professional development and seminars are evaluated and which providers perform particularly well in relevant studies.

 

The news articles highlight selected study findings, explain them in a clear and accessible way, and relate them to practical application. This makes it visible which topics are shaping the market, which criteria are important for participants and companies, and which developments may be relevant for their own professional development.

What current studies show

Best SME Service Providers 2026

WirtschaftsWoche Award

This year again, the exclusive WirtschaftsWoche ranking "Best SME Service Providers" highlights which companies are particularly valued by small and medium-sized enterprises for their services. As part of the renowned WirtschaftsWoche ranking "Best SME Service Providers", a total of 21,674 decision-makers, procurement professionals, and users from SMEs were surveyed between late December 2025 and mid-January 2026 on 729 service providers across 51 industries.

Against this backdrop, we are proud that FORUM Institut has once again been recognised as "BEST SME Service Provider 2026" in the training and development industry.

The official publication can be found here and online at "Which services SMEs trust".

Source: WirtschaftsWoche

Rising Star of the Year

A study in cooperation with Focus Money

The past was not necessarily better, but certainly different. Whether it concerns financial services, mobility, education, nutrition, entertainment, or housing, there is hardly any area of life that has not undergone massive changes in recent decades. New technologies and services have emerged, and much has shifted online. Companies therefore have different approaches to staying ahead of the curve: they can respond to changing customer needs by adapting or expanding their offerings, or they can proactively create something entirely new. Which companies have recently stood out with a particularly positive development? Together with FOCUS MONEY, we explored this topic.

FORUM Institut has been awarded the distinction "Rising Star of the Year – High Recognition" in the "Training Provider" industry.

Study profileFull ranking

Source: FocusMoney

Best Digital Training 2026

Süddeutsche Zeitung - Study: Best Digital Training 2026

George Couros put it perfectly: "Technology will never replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of a great teacher can be transformational." (The Innovator's Mindset, 2015). This also applies to professional development: what matters is not the platform or format, but the quality of content, the expertise of the instructors, and the practical relevance that makes knowledge directly applicable.

Particularly in the areas of IT, programming, data analysis, as well as artificial intelligence and automation, the market is overwhelming. Many offerings sound promising but do not automatically deliver reliable quality. To provide better orientation, the SZ Institut (Süddeutsche Zeitung) commissioned a study from SWI to identify the best providers and offerings that effectively promote digital competences for the workplace of tomorrow.

FORUM Institut achieved top placements in the categories "Applied Artificial Intelligence Training" and "IT Security, Cybersecurity & Data Protection Training". In the categories "SAP Training" and "Digital Working Methods & Transformation Training", we reached the number one position. Applause!

Read the study here.