2Firsts, February 19, 2026
On February 18, 2026, Imperial Brands said in a LinkedIn post that it had formed a long-term global partnership with Capgemini to strengthen data-led capabilities and deploy artificial intelligence across its organization, adding momentum to a broader shift toward AI-driven operational infrastructure in the global nicotine sector.
While the company’s communication also highlighted updates to its heated tobacco portfolio, including new iD tobacco stick variants for its Pulze system, the strategic significance lies in the formalization of AI integration at the enterprise level.
Imperial said the partnership will support its 2030 ambitions to become a more agile, data-led and efficient organization. The collaboration is expected to enhance consumer insights, sales execution and innovation capabilities, and provide access to advanced analytics and agentic AI services.
“Our new partnership with Capgemini will accelerate our development,” said Lukas Paravicini, CEO of Imperial Brands. “It will deliver a step-up in our consumer insights and sales execution, improve our innovation capabilities, and free our people to focus on the activities which create most value.”
Although the company did not disclose specific implementation details, the agreement suggests AI is being embedded within Imperial’s operating framework rather than positioned as a limited digital initiative.
Who Is Capgemini?
Capgemini, according to its 2025 Group Presentation, employs roughly 340,000 people across more than 50 countries and reported €22.1 billion in 2024 revenue. The firm provides technology and transformation services across strategy, engineering and operations, and has invested heavily in AI and data capabilities, serving major multinational clients such as Unilever, Airbus and BNP Paribas across consumer goods, aerospace and financial services.
For Imperial Brands, partnering with a group of this scale indicates a structural technology collaboration rather than incremental IT support.
A Broader Industry Pattern
Imperial’s move follows a series of AI-related developments across the nicotine sector.
Earlier this month, Philip Morris International indicated during its earnings call that artificial intelligence is expected to play a growing role in efficiency and performance management. In December 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rolled out agency-wide “agentic AI” tools to support regulatory review, inspections and compliance workflows.
Tamarind Intelligence recently appointed a chief executive with a SaaS commercialization background, explicitly prioritizing AI deployment as part of its strategic direction.
Taken together, these developments suggest artificial intelligence is increasingly being institutionalized across manufacturers, regulators and industry intelligence providers.
Strategic and Organizational Implications
Alan Zhao, founder of 2Firsts, has previously noted that AI adoption is likely to first reshape knowledge-intensive functions such as strategy, research, compliance and planning within the nicotine industry.
For multinational tobacco companies navigating the transition toward smoke-free portfolios while managing cost pressures, AI is increasingly framed as both an efficiency tool and a structural necessity.
No major tobacco company has announced large-scale AI-linked workforce reductions to date. However, digital transformation in other industries has coincided with corporate restructuring. In January 2026, Reuters reported that Amazon eliminated approximately 30,000 corporate roles as part of its artificial intelligence and efficiency drive.
As intelligence providers, regulators and multinational manufacturers continue embedding AI into core workflows, competitive dynamics in the nicotine industry may increasingly depend not only on product portfolios and brand positioning, but also on digital execution capability and data infrastructure.
For continuing coverage of artificial intelligence and structural transformation in the global nicotine industry, follow 2Firsts.
（Cover image generated by AI）
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