Forging the future through collaborative upskilling and innovation in Italy

Since Philip Morris International (PMI)’s vision of a smoke-free future led to the Philip Morris Manufacturing & Technology Bologna (PM MTB) greenfield investment in Crespellano (BO), new jobs and skills have emerged in the company’s value chain in Italy.

Building on expertise in innovation, sustainability, and digitalization, PM MTB established the Philip Morris Institute for Manufacturing Competencies (IMC), a center dedicated to high-level training and upskilling opportunities related to “Industry 4.0.”¹

This initiative aims to serve as a national point of reference for developing advanced skills needed for the future of manufacturing and agriculture. Both sectors remain critical for Italy’s economic success, and PMI remains firmly committed to supporting their long-term competitiveness.

A national hub for learning, collaboration, and technology transfer

The Philip Morris IMC was inaugurated on June 17, 2022. At the heart of the project is a learning facility designed according to advanced environmental sustainability standards and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards.

The Center operates as an open system, welcoming participation not only from PMI employees and business partners, but also from the broader business, entrepreneurial, academic, and training communities at both local and national levels. It also set an ambitious goal: To become a landmark for continuing education and technology transfer, supporting the development of advanced skills for the professions of tomorrow.

Empowering future manufacturing: Skills, innovation, and research

The Center focuses on three core areas, identified through research and skills mapping conducted with partners such as Porsche Consulting (covering digitalization and change management) and The European House—Ambrosetti (covering assessment of competences and educational needs in Italian manufacturing and agriculture). These are:

1. Training and professional development, to build and enhance the skills required for future manufacturing roles.
2. Technology transfer and open innovation, to share scientific and technological developments and accelerate innovation.
3. Applied research and university-business collaboration, to promote research on complex challenges in partnership with universities.

Image: Employee in a laboratory in Bologna

Transformative training and strategic partnerships

Through collaboration with public and private institutions, technical institutes, research centers, universities, startups, and other private companies, the Philip Morris IMC developed a broad and diverse program of activities.

From the outset, the project generated strong engagement among all stakeholders, including PMI employees, who welcomed the opportunity to collaborate not only with existing business partners across PMI’s Italian value chain, but with a broader network of new stakeholders.

From skills development to applied innovation

Projects delivered to date include:

• Upskilling programs for small and medium enterprises on topics such as data-driven decision making, statistics, and Internet of Things.
  
• Train-the-trainer courses for educators in technological and industrial fields at secondary post-diploma Technical Institutes (ITS), focused on digital manufacturing technologies such as smart manufacturing, simulation and modelling, controllers and sensors, and lean organization.
  
• Funding scholarships that support Industry 4.0 education.
  
• Support and funding for applied research activities of researchers and students with a focus on sustainability (including decarbonization and energy efficiency), digital skills, security, and supply chain efficiency.
  
• The digital farmer program, developed with CESAR (Center for Agricultural and Rural Development) and the University of Perugia, which supports young farmers in strengthening technical and digital skills, and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies to support eco-energy and digital transition.

The Center has also launched several calls for innovation in agricultural and manufacturing—including “Be Leaf, Be the Future,” and “Designing the Sustainable Future of Manufacturing”—opening its facilities to startups exploring solutions to challenges such as energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction.

To promote greater inclusion in innovation, the Center created the “Women Shape the Future” hackathon, dedicated to female STEM students from universities in Southern Italy. The competition aims to encourage participation in fields traditionally dominated by men through hands-on challenges focused on smart mobility, organizational design, and professional wellbeing.

Sharing excellence and strengthening PMI’s value chain

In 2024, the Center delivered more than 5,000 hours of training to PMI employees across 16 distinct thematic areas. Building on this experience, PMI plans to explore educational models in other European countries, leveraging its industrial footprint in the region to identify best practices in manufacturing and agriculture. The analysis will focus on how the Center’s activities can support other markets in developing skills and strengthening strategic public-private partnerships.

“We truly appreciate the engagement and support that institutional and civil society stakeholders have been giving to this project,” said Pasquale Frega, Managing Director, Italy. “We are convinced that the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and expertise with local communities makes a real difference. Pragmatic and innovative collaborations like these will be essential to the future success of the Italian economy.”