Porto Business School launches executive programme on AI strategy

Porto Business School will launch its new Advanced Program AI for Business on 20 October, equipping senior executives to turn artificial intelligence into strategy as global adoption accelerates and demand grows for responsible, value-driven leadership

Porto Business School will next month launch an executive training programme designed to help managers and business leaders integrate artificial intelligence into corporate strategy.

The Advanced Program AI for Business, which begins on 20 October, is aimed at senior executives and managers across sectors including marketing, operations, HR, finance, healthcare, energy and telecoms. It requires no coding experience and instead focuses on strategy, leadership and responsible innovation.

Structured around three modules, Introduction to AI, Leading with AI and Applying at Scale, the course will examine applications in marketing, operations and value chains, the impact on business models, and the ethical, legal and operational risks involved. Participants will complete a Capstone Project to develop an AI action plan tailored to their organisation.

The programme is led by Luís Paulo Reis, AI specialist and director of LIACC, with faculty drawn from data science, ethics and management, and international guest speakers including Virginia Dignum of Umeå University and the UN High Level Advisory Body on AI; Florian Caringi of BPCE Group; and Gerhard Neumann of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Luís Paulo Reis, programme director, said: “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.”

The launch follows a surge in AI adoption worldwide. McKinsey research shows 78 per cent of organisations now use AI in at least one business function, up from 55 per cent in 2023. In Portugal, 96,000 companies, 41 per cent of the total, adopted AI for the first time in 2024.

Porto Business School has in recent years positioned itself as a national leader in embedding AI into executive education. It created the AI for Business Center within its Innovation X Hub, alongside specialist bootcamps and programmes in AI strategy, operations and talent management. AI has also been integrated into postgraduate courses, executive masters and MBAs, including its Global Online MBA, ranked eighth worldwide and fourth in Europe by the Financial Times.

READ MORE: Earlier this year, The University of Michigan has launched a new education programme aimed at senior business leaders tasked with overseeing data and artificial intelligence initiatives.

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_{Main image, courtesy PBS}