Press Releases

2016/09/28 - Leonardo Ceremony 2016

Only together can we master the future

The award ceremony of the Leonardo - European Corporate Learning Award 2016 on 19 September in the Kameha Grand Bonn was held under the motto the future of learning in times of ignorance. “An evening full of enlightenment, but also full of joy”, promised Prof. Michael Spencer, who was the host of the event. The European education award this year went to the following bold visionaries and energetic pragmatists, who have explored new ways in the areas of education and social development: Dr. C. Otto Scharmer in the category “Thought Leadership”, Dr. Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund in the category “Crossing Borders”, and the founders of Kiron Open Higher Education, Vincent Zimmer and Markus Kreßler, in the category “Young Leonardo”.

2016/06/09 - Leonardo Awardees 2016

The “future of learning” in times of ignorance

For the past seven years, the Leonardo Award has stood for the “future of learning”. The European education prize awards provocative realists, courageous pioneers and energetic pragmatists who have explored new paths in the field of education: Dr. C. Otto Scharmer with his management method "Theory U”, Dr. Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund with their worldwide battle against prejudices, and Vincent Zimmer as well as Markus Kressler with their online university for refugees. The award ceremony will take place on 19 September 2016 at the Kameha Grand Hotel Bonn.

2015/09/16 - “The voice of corporate learning”

European Corporate Learning Association founded in Bonn

On 14 September 2015, in the context of the 6th Leonardo European Corporate Learning Award, the European Corporate Learning Association (ECLA) was founded in Bonn as a platform for corporate learning in Europe.

2015/10/01 - 6th Leonardo Award handed over to young visionaries in learning

A new pioneering spirit in corporate learning

The 6th Leonardo - European Corporate Learning Award was all about a new pioneering spirit. For the first time, particularly young pioneers (all award-winners are in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties) were awarded the European award for education in the field of corporate learning on September 14 at the Kameha Grand Bonn: Teemu Arina (Dicole Ltd. – Finland), Claudia Suhov (KIDster – Romania), Christoph Brosius (Die Hobrechts – Germany) and Dr. Thieu Besselink (The Learning Lab – Netherlands) received their awards at a gala evening event.

2015/05/07 - Leonardo Award 2015

Demonstrating "success stories”

“Young Leonardos" breathe new life into corporate learning In 2015 the Leonardo – European Corporate Learning Award again distinguishes courageous pioneers in the field of education. Five "Young Leonardos", all in their early 20s to mid 30s, provide new aspects in the considerations of corporate learning with their "success stories": Dr. Thieu Besselink, The Learning Lab (Netherlands), Dale J. Stephens, UnCollege (USA), Teemu Arina, Dicole Ltd. (Finland), Christoph Brosius, Die Hobrechts (Germany), and Claudia Suhov, KIDster (Romania), will receive their awards on 14th September 2015.

2014/10/20 - Leonardo award presented at Petersberg

A day defined by corporate learning: Educational pioneers honoured with European education award

On October 13, everything at the Petersberg near Bonn revolved around visionary perspectives and innovative implementations in corporate learning: Prof. Dr. h.c. Hasso Plattner, founder of SAP and the Hasso-Plattner-Institute, Caroline Jenner of the organization JA-YE Europe, and Calvin Grieder, CEO of Bühler AG in Switzerland, received the Leonardo - European Corporate Learning Award 2014.

2014/04/02 - Prize-winners of the Leonardo Award 2014 selected

The future of learning is alive: It all depends on attitude and passion!

Awards go to educational pioneers: Prize-winners of the Leonardo Award 2014 selected

2013/09/24 - Leonardo award presented at Petersberg

Awards for outstanding impulses for education in Europe

"Coping with the major challenges of our time and shaping a sustainable world requires continuous learning processes", the Lord Mayor of the city of Bonn, Jürgen Nimptsch, explained in his welcoming speech at the Leonardo - European Corporate Learning Award on September 16, to roughly 130 invited guests at the Steigenberger Grandhotel Petersberg. As one of the patrons of the award, he congratulated the three award winners Prof. Dorothy Leonard, Dr. Nick van Dam and Gary Copitch for their courage to leave old ways of thinking behind them. "I feel personally inspired by your way of thinking and I share your hope that new ways of learning will affect society as a whole."

2013/06/18 - Leonardo-Award 2013

Leaving the crisis behind with an alternative perspective of learning

In today's globalized world, education is the future’s capital and continuous education the basis for our knowledge society. Skilled employees and their qualifications can play a decisive part in dealing with the crisis in Europe. However, learning in school and learning in companies are not always compatible. The laureates of the Leonardo – European Corporate Learning Award provide new dimensions. The Leonardo Award rewards brave visions of learning and the personalities behind them in order to highlight the importance of the issue even more to the public. On 16th September 2013 Prof. Dorothy Leonard will receive the award in the category “Thought Leadership”, Nick van Dam in the category “Company Transformation”, and Gary Copitch in the category “Crossing Borders”.

2012/10/08 - Leonardo Award Ceremony

Pioneers for European Education Awarded at Schloss Bensberg

Four brave pioneers in the area of education received the Leonardo – European Corporate Learning Award at Schloss Bensberg on September 24th 2012. The award ceremony, which took place as a prelude to the HRM Expo (from 25th to 27th September in Cologne, Germany), saw the presentation of the award in three different categories for the first time. This was a natural consequence in order to emphasize the decisive aspects of the Leonardo idea of holistic education. The award winners were Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of the Fraunhofer Society, in the category “Thought Leadership”, the two Managing Directors of the Festo Holding Company, Dr. Wilfried Stoll and Dr. h.c. Kurt Stoll in the category “Company Transformation”, and Prof. Sugata Mitra, initiator of the “Hole in the Wall” experiment, in the category "Crossing Borders”.

2012/09/14 - Leonardo Award winner Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger

Establishing knowledge and further training in an international and interdisciplinary fashion

The President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, will receive the Leonardo – European Corporate Learning Award 2012 in the category “Thought Leadership”. The award honours personalities that have placed an emphasis on intelligent, sustainable and integrative growth for Europe in their innovative efforts. The initiators of the award thus also acknowledge Prof. Bullinger’s commitment towards new technologies in company training and knowledge management, and their connection with a modern management culture.

2012/09/05 - Leonardo Prize Winner Festo

Courageous Educational Vision Implemented on a Worldwide Scale

The owners of the automation company Festo, Dr. Wilfried Stoll and Dr. h.c. Kurt Stoll, will receive the Leonardo – European Corporate Learning Award 2012 in the category “Company Transformation”. The initiators of the award are paying tribute to the brothers' overall work in the area of education, ranging from Festo Didactic and Bionic Learning Network to their responsible dedication to education and further education around the world.

2012/06/21 - Leonardo-Award 2012

How companies can use keen visions responsibly

How we live and work today and in the future is not only a question of politics but also of the learning processes companies go through. That is why the initiators of the Leonardo – European Corporate Learning Award have set the goal of promoting brave learning initiatives by distinguishing pioneers in education. This year the award will be presented in three different categories for the first time. The award winners are Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the two Managing Partners of Festo Holding Dr. Wilfried Stoll and Dr. h.c. Kurt Stoll, and Prof. Sugata Mitra, initiator of the “Hole in the Wall” experiment.

2012/04/12 - Leonardo – European Corporate Learning Award presented

Jimmy Wales: “Wikipedia touches on a holistic view of the person“

“The total amount of formal education, like kindergarten through university level, is about the same”, said Jimmy Wales at the award's presentation on Friday, the 30th of March 2012, in Berlin about the past 30 years of learning. “What has changed dramatically is informal learning.“ People who are already in their career, basically use the internet to keep up about what is happening in their respective fields, e.g. in the area of technology. As the fifth most popular website in the world with more than 500 million visitors per month, Wikipedia also plays a decisive part in that.

2011/09/21 - 2nd Leonardo – European Corporate Learning Award

“Dare to Share”: From Individual to Collective Knowledge

The online encyclopedia Wikipedia, to which people from all over the world can add their own knowledge, today serves many companies as a role model for their internal exchange of information. Employees share their knowledge with each other in order to improve their everyday work. They contribute their personal potential and initiate innovation. That is why Wikipedia and its founder Jimmy Wales received the Leonardo - European Corporate Learning Award on Wednesday, 21st September, in Cologne at HRM Expo.