Global Knowledge Management Week 2025: A Snapshot

Every year globally connected KM practitioners, networks and organizations pause for a moment of alignment, sharing and celebration in what we now recognize as Global Knowledge Management Week (KM Week). This event provides a focal point for raising the visibility of knowledge management (KM) as a discipline, reinforcing its relevance across sectors and geographies, and encouraging coordinated activity, dialogue and reflection.

Origins and Evolution

The seed of this global “week of KM” belongs to the Knowledge Management Global Network (KMGN), a not-for-profit network of international KM communities. KMGN was founded in 2014 and institutionalized in 2021. (kmglobalnetwork.org)
Via KMGN and its partner communities, the notion of a “KM Week” or “KM Festival” emerged as a way to bring regional, national and organizational KM activities into a common timeframe and amplify their impact. For instance, KMGN describes “Global Knowledge Week” as being organized since 2023 under that banner. (KMedu Hub)
More broadly, RealKM Magazine reports that in 2024, there were 138 events across 16 countries as part of the 2024 edition of KM Week — signaling meaningful traction and global spread. (RealKM)

Thus, what began as a network-driven coordination effort has matured into an annual “festival of KM” that invites knowledge professionals everywhere to plan events, share case studies, explore emerging topics (such as AI, tacit knowledge, knowledge graphs, decolonizing knowledge) and connect across borders.

Why It Matters

From my vantage, having worked in knowledge management in the military, government and private sectors, KM Week is powerful for several reasons:

• It raises awareness of KM’s strategic importance in organisations and ecosystems (not just as a “nice-to-have” but as a value driver).
• It creates a focal point for KM professionals to synchronise efforts, share best practices, and challenge themselves with new themes.
• It elevates innovation and future-oriented thinking in KM (for example: how do generative AI, knowledge graphs, and contextual ontologies alter KM strategy?).
• And it fosters a sense of global community among KM practitioners, which supports sharing across cultural, organisational and national boundaries.

For someone working at the intersection of knowledge management, innovation and data management (in my case across defense, government and industry), KM Week serves as a useful anchor to reflect on where we stand as a KM Community, what is working, where the gaps are, and how to advance from “data → knowledge → decision” loops in increasingly complex environments.

What is the Agenda for KM Week 2025?

Here are the key details for this year’s edition, plus how organizations and practitioners might engage proactively.

Dates & Participation

• The 2025 edition of Global Knowledge Management Week is scheduled for October 20-25, 2025. (ROM Global)
• The week is open: organizations, networks, communities and individuals are encouraged to plan events (online, in-person or hybrid) across regions, sectors and levels. (ROM Global)

Focus Themes
While the week itself is a “container”, a number of thematic tracks are emerging that reflect the current frontiers of KM. According to RealKM and other commentary: (RealKM)

• Generative AI & KM: how AI agents, knowledge graphs and other “next-gen” tools intersect with KM practice.
• Tacit Knowledge & Knowledge Capture: recognising that in many organisations critical knowledge remains tacit, embedded in human experience, often high-stakes as in defence or complex engineering.
• Complexity, Systems Thinking & KM: acknowledging that knowledge flows in complex, dynamic systems and KM must adapt accordingly (e.g., project-based organizations, temporary organizations).
• Decolonizing Knowledge & Knowledge Sovereignty: foregrounding culturally aware, inclusive approaches to KM that recognize diverse epistemologies and avoid extractive knowledge models.
• Knowledge Governance, Standards & Measurement: as organisations mature in KM, questions of governance, ROI, standardisation (e.g., ISO 30401), and metrics become ever more relevant.
• Communities of Practice, Knowledge Sharing & Innovation: emphasising collaboration, networks, peer-to-peer sharing and the link from KM to innovation outcomes.
• KM in SMEs & Varied Sectors: KM does not just happen in large enterprises, need to look how KM practices adapt to smaller organizations, different industries (e.g., SMEs, project-based sectors, construction).

How to Get Involved – A Practitioner Checklist
For KM practitioners, leaders and innovation managers, here are suggested steps:

1. Schedule a kickoff: coordinate within your organisation (or network) a KM Week event, even a short webinar or panel, for the Oct 20–25 window.
2. Select a theme: pick one (or more) of the emerging tracks above that reflect your organisational context (e.g., AI-enabled knowledge capture in defence; tacit knowledge transfer in government).
3. Invite cross-discipline input: involve stakeholders beyond KM (e.g., data management, AI/ML, innovation teams, decision-makers) to broaden the conversation.
4. Capture insights: use the week as a “pulse check” to document what is happening, what gaps remain, what opportunities for improvement exist.
5. Share out: report key take-aways internally and externally (e.g., LinkedIn post, blog) to build momentum and visibility for KM in your ecosystem.
6. Link to strategy: tie the event back to your broader KM/innovation/data management strategy, this is not just a standalone event but a gateway to future action.
7. Engage the global KM community: connect with KMGN, share your event, and see what others are doing globally – the value lies in cross-pollination too.

A Personal Note

In over 20 years of working at the convergence of knowledge management, data management and innovation (especially in defense, government and industry), I have seen how historically knowledge functions were often relegated to support roles. But the accelerating pace of change, driven by digitalization, AI, networked operations and hybrid work, this means KM is now mission critical for all organizations. KM Week provides an ideal moment to step back, reflect on progress and lean into the future.

As we enter KM Week 2025, I encourage you to treat it not just as a calendar event, but as a strategic opportunity: to align your knowledge agenda with innovation, put tacit knowledge into play, govern effectively, and connect to broader ecosystem-thinking. Your organization (and your network) will be better for it.

Let us make this KM Week 2025 one of purposeful alignment, global connection and future-oriented action.