IPMA conference and WISE tool

Project managers gathered in Bogotá this week as the International Project Management Association used its 14th Research Conference to pair a leadership debate with a new online tool. (ipma-research-conference.world) The conference ran from April 15 to 17, 2026, at EAN University in Bogotá under the theme “Project Management Practice in a Disruptive Era: Integrating Technology, Innovation, and Sustainability.” IPMA and Colombia’s ADIPRO organized the event. (myipma.ipma.world, ipma-usa.org) One session featured Lana Lovrenčić Butković on “Smart, Sustainable, Regenerative” leadership mindsets, while another highlighted Rodrigo Baessa’s argument for training future project managers through adaptable, interdisciplinary education. Those two ideas put leadership behavior and professional education at the center of the Bogotá meeting. (x.com, x.com) Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and delivering work with a deadline, a budget, and a defined result. IPMA frames that work around competence standards for individuals, projects, and organizations rather than a single checklist of methods. (ipma.world, ipma.world) That helps explain the Bogotá focus on mindsets and tools instead of only schedules and spreadsheets. The conference theme explicitly linked technology, innovation, and sustainability at a moment when IPMA is also emphasizing ethical leadership and environmental responsibility across its programs. (ipma-research-conference.world, ipma.world) The new WISE online tool was presented as a way to turn conference ideas into practical use, according to IPMA’s conference coverage on social media. IPMA’s broader digital platform already hosts training, events, and career resources, so the launch fits its push to move professional development online. (x.com, myipma.ipma.world) Baessa’s education argument also lines up with IPMA’s certification ladder, which ranges from entry-level Level D to senior levels for experienced managers. The association says its system is built around demonstrated competence in project, programme, and portfolio management. (ipma.world, ipma.world) IPMA says it was founded in 1965, making it one of the oldest international project-management bodies, and it now uses conferences, standards, and certification to shape the profession across member associations. Bogotá’s message was that the next generation will be judged not only on delivery, but on how they learn, adapt, and account for sustainability. (ipma.world, myipma.ipma.world)