Cooperatives in Germany combine tradition with the future – with strong networks, a sustainable business model, and the courage to break new ground. Our study tours give you the opportunity to experience this system up close. Here in Germany, where the cooperative movement originated, you will meet people who take responsibility, openly share their experiences, and thus provide inspiration that has a lasting impact.
Who are the study tours designed for?
Our study tours appeal to people who do not stand still. Instead, they think ahead, compare, examine new ideas, and take with them what works for their own organization. They are particularly popular with:
- Top managers from cooperative banks worldwide
- International decision-makers from cooperative companies
- Consultants and experts from around the world
- Universities and continuing education providers
Study tour for closed groups – as individual as your goals
No off-the-shelf trip: your study tour is designed in close consultation with you, using modules that suit you, your team, and your company. You determine the focus, we take care of the content, organization, and schedule. Whether at Montabaur Castle or other locations in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, together we create the right setting for intensive learning, true exchange, and powerful inspiration. Please contact Katja Guthörl for further information and individual consultation.
Boris Nannt welcomes international guests and shares the idea behind the ADG Study Tours: learning from Germany’s cooperative system through direct dialogue, practical insights and international exchange. The goal is not to copy one model, but to discover ideas that can create value in each participant’s own context.
Testimonials
What participants say about our study tours
The programme was practical, dynamic and highly transferable. The visit to VR Bank RheinAhrEifel made the cooperative model in Germany truly tangible.
Luian
Administrative Advisor at a Brazilian cooperative bank
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During this intensive week at ADG, I was able to delve deeply into central topics: differences between the German and Brazilian models, new ideas in sales management, leadership development, and risk management – all with a clear focus on sustainability and future viability. The visit to VR Bank RheinAhrEifel was particularly inspiring: here, it became tangible how a primary credit cooperative lives innovation. What impressed me was that all the topics were practical and dynamic. We were able to directly transfer it to our reality – and we are already implementing many of the ideas in Brazil. I am very grateful for the wonderful hospitality and am convinced that this is only the beginning of a strong connection between ADG and our cooperative Sicredi Vale Litoral. I wholeheartedly recommend ADG’s programmes – the knowledge imparted here will sow the seeds of cooperative thinking wherever we work.
The study tour combined theory and practice in a very enriching way. I returned with many ideas around sustainability, production and cooperation.
Tobias
Head of Department at a cooperative feed factory in Paraguay
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The study trip to Germany was an enriching experience for me. I was particularly impressed by how well theory and practice were combined – we were able to get to know innovative companies and organizations while also gaining exciting insights into current developments in agriculture. I am taking many ideas and impulses back to Paraguay, especially in the areas of sustainability, production processes, and cooperation between producers and cooperatives. I highly recommend a study tour to Germany to anyone who wants to look beyond their own horizons and gain new perspectives for their work. It is not only professionally valuable but also personally inspiring.
ADG combined seminars, expert exchange and inspiring field visits. The tour showed how cooperation can connect people and shape the future.
Nadia
Commercial Export Manager at a leading beef producing cooperative in Paraguay
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The study trip to Germany was an enriching experience for me. The days spent on campus at Montabaur Castle not only provided theoretical knowledge through the seminars, but also offered the opportunity to connect with experts and learn from their practical experience. I was particularly impressed by the visit to Westerwald Bank eG: Here we were able to see how a cooperative is rooted in its region, offers state-of-the-art services, explores and tests new approaches, and demonstrates its trust in aspiring young leaders by delegating responsibility to them.
Another highlight was the guided tour of the world’s oldest winegrowers’ cooperative in the Ahr Valley. Learning how this region was rebuilt after the flood disaster a few years ago, through strong solidarity and a cooperative spirit, deeply impressed me. It was a vivid example of how people can create new perspectives through cooperation, even in difficult times.
I’m taking many valuable insights back with me – especially how important it is to strengthen community, to exemplify innovation and values, and to move forward courageously despite all challenges. This trip has shown me that a living cooperative is far more than a business model: it is a way to connect people and shape the future.
Germany is home to one of the world’s most successful cooperative banking systems. Regional roots, a strong innovation focus, and sustainable growth make cooperative banks a key pillar of the financial sector.
This Open Study Tour brings together international cooperative leaders and executives to gain practical insights into strategies, innovations, and leadership approaches, to exchange ideas with peers from different cooperatives or countries and to explore new perspectives for the future of cooperative banking.
The program blends expert-led sessions with inspiring cultural experiences. Translation support into Portuguese (AI or human) ensures full understanding for all participants, making the week engaging, interactive, and far from purely theoretical.
90 MINUTES INSPIRATION: The ADG Cooperative Expert Talk is an online format that brings together leaders from cooperative banks and organizations around the world for a shared dialogue. Building on the network and spirit of the ADG Study Tours, it creates a digital space where international perspectives meet German practical experience.
The focus is not on a traditional webinar, but on an exchange among equals: In selected keynote presentations and moderated expert talks, current challenges, strategic opportunities, and future issues facing cooperative organizations are discussed with selected experts from German institutions, companies, and initiatives. Sufficient time is also set aside for questions from the participants.
The format builds on the strong international ADG Study Tour network, with a particular focus on the Brazilian cooperative banking community. To support an open and interactive dialogue, the session will be held in German with simultaneous interpretation into Portuguese.
