Tabaqueira announced the launch of T.LAB – Leadership and Transformation Academy. This is a training structure that centralizes all the company's capacity-building activities. It is aimed not only at its approximately 1.500 employees, but also at value chain partners and the community in general. According to the company, the initiative represents an investment in human development as an " engine of innovation, inclusion and transformation ".
The academy is organized around three main pillars. The first focuses on Tabaqueira's own employees, with upskilling and reskilling programs covering areas such as leadership, management, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence. The second pillar targets the value chain – suppliers and distribution partners – with training geared towards competitiveness, innovation, and sustainability. The third pillar has a more social and community-oriented focus, encompassing technical schools, universities, and employability initiatives such as the national PRO_MOV program. The objective is to contribute to the qualification and socioeconomic inclusion of young people and adults.
“T.LAB is our commitment to empowering those who are with us and goes far beyond a training program. The academy is an investment in people and the possibilities they can create ,” explains Marcelo Nico, general manager of Tabaqueira.
Ecosystem of influential partners
To support T.LAB, Tabaqueira built an ecosystem of partners. Among the institutions involved are Nova SBE, Instituto Superior Técnico, ISCTE, Escola Superior Náutica Infante D. Henrique, and Escola Técnica e Profissional de Mafra. From the professional training and civil society sectors, noteworthy partners include the Associação de Formação para a Indústria, Code for All, the Conselho Empresarial para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável, and GRACE – Empresas Responsáveis.
The company also promises to deepen its relationship with academia through scholarships, research programs, and joint capacity-building initiatives, signaling a long-term commitment to linking the business world and higher education.
Alignment with the SDGs and PMI's transition strategy
The initiative is presented as being aligned with four UN Sustainable Development Goals: quality education (SDG 4), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), reduced inequalities (SDG 10), and strategic partnerships (SDG 17). For Tabaqueira, T.LAB is seen as " a structuring pillar " of its commitment to responsible transformation, at a time when the company is accelerating the transition to a smoke-free future, following the strategy of its parent company, Philip Morris International (PMI).
PMI has been investing heavily in diversifying its portfolio beyond traditional cigarettes. According to the company's own data, the smoke-free product segment accounted for 41% of total net revenue in the first nine months of 2025, and it is estimated that more than 41 million adult consumers worldwide currently use these products.
