Porto Business School Launches Advanced Program AI For Business

This October, Porto Business School (PBS) launches its Advanced Program AI for Business, an executive training programme that equips managers and leaders to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their organisations’ strategies.

The programme focuses on its practical application in management, helping participants turn data into decisions, innovation into sustainable growth, and technology into competitive advantage.

Structured around three modules – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Leading with AI, and Applying at Scale – the programme explores AI’s use in marketing, operations and value chains, its impact on business models, and the ethical, legal and operational risks it poses. It culminates in a Capstone Project, where participants develop and present an AI action plan tailored to their organisation.

Open to senior executives and managers across areas including marketing, operations, HR, legal, finance, healthcare, energy, telecoms and innovation, the programme offers a strategic vision with measurable outcomes. It covers everything from operational efficiency to customer experience, equipping leaders to drive digital transformation. No coding experience is required: the focus is on strategy, leadership and responsible innovation.

The programme is led by Luís Paulo Reis, AI expert, senior IEEE member and director of LIACC. Faculty include leading specialists in data science, ethics and management, joined by international guest speakers such as Virginia Dignum (Umeå University, UN High Level Advisory Body on AI), Florian Caringi (BPCE Group) and Gerhard Neumann (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology).

The launch comes as AI adoption accelerates. A McKinsey & Company study shows 78% of organisations now use AI in at least one business function, up from 72% earlier this year and 55% in 2023. In Portugal alone, 96,000 companies adopted AI for the first time in 2024 – 41% of all businesses nationwide.

“The challenge isn’t just knowing the tools, but applying them to create real, sustainable value. That’s why we developed this programme: to give managers the vision, confidence and skills to connect business and technology, lead responsibly, and anticipate risks,” says Luís Paulo Reis, programme director.

The first edition begins on 20 October in blended format, with 60 hours in person and 30 hours online. Applications are now open.

In recent years, Porto Business School has established itself as a national leader in embedding AI into executive education. The creation of the AI for Business Center within the Innovation X Hub has been a cornerstone of this strategy, alongside intensive bootcamps and specialist programmes that train leaders to apply AI in strategy, innovation, operations and talent management.

AI has also been integrated into PBS postgraduate programmes, executive masters and MBAs in areas including management control, operations, data analysis, people analytics and leadership. The Global Online MBA, ranked eighth worldwide and fourth in Europe by the Financial Times, has been recognised internationally for its digital transformation, providing participants with AI tools and business simulation experiences.

Through this integrated approach, Porto Business School is preparing managers and organisations in Portugal to harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.

For more information, or to speak to programme leader, Luís Paulo Reis, please contact Chloë Lane at BlueSky Education at chloe@bluesky-pr.com.