Global hygiene and health leader Essity has teamed up with Accenture and Microsoft in a multi-year collaboration aimed at embedding AI agents into its core business operations — a move designed to boost efficiency, agility, and long-term growth.
Under the partnership, the three companies will co-develop next-generation AI solutions at Essity’s AI Centre of Excellence, combining Accenture’s industry expertise and Microsoft’s Azure and Copilot Studio technologies to create a flexible, cloud-based platform for enterprise-scale AI innovation.
“We’re creating a robust and flexible foundation for developing and embedding data and AI in our core business processes,” said Carl-Magnus Månsson, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Essity. “This collaboration ensures we have the agility to move as the market does — responsibly and in line with our company values.”
AI Agents for Procurement and Finance—With Bigger Plans Ahead
The first phase of the initiative will target procurement and finance operations, two areas where AI’s potential for automation and predictive insight is already transforming the enterprise landscape. The goal: to test, learn, and refine AI-driven workflows before scaling across Essity’s broader operations.
Longer term, the company intends to extend AI agents to other end-to-end processes, from supply chain optimization to sustainability reporting — building a more connected and responsive digital backbone.
“Essity has taken a bold step forward in realizing its ambition to be a pioneering company in the hygiene and health sector,” said Patrik Malm, Managing Director at Accenture. “Together with Microsoft, we’re building a cloud-based platform for collaboration and co-creation — unlocking value through generative AI and agentic technology.”
Responsible AI, Scalable by Design
At the heart of this collaboration is responsible AI — a principle all three companies have emphasized. Essity’s framework ensures that every AI deployment aligns with ethical standards, legal compliance, and its core values: commitment, care, collaboration, and courage.
Accenture’s cloud and data specialists will work alongside Microsoft engineers to integrate Azure AI, Copilot Studio, and Power Platform technologies. This ecosystem will enable Essity to rapidly test and scale AI use cases while maintaining data integrity and regulatory compliance.
“We’re in a transformative era of AI where the ability to test, observe, and scale rapidly is essential,” said Sophia Wikander, CEO of Microsoft Sweden. “By combining our agentic AI technologies with Essity’s deep industry expertise, we’re unlocking new levels of agility and value.”
Essity’s move underscores a growing trend among industrial and consumer goods companies embracing agentic AI — autonomous, task-oriented AI systems designed to interact, analyze, and make decisions in real time.
While sectors like tech and finance were early adopters, hygiene and health companies have been more measured, prioritizing reliability and ethical governance over speed. Essity’s partnership model, combining trusted enterprise partners and rigorous design principles, could serve as a blueprint for others seeking to modernize without overextending.
With Accenture’s cross-industry experience and Microsoft’s rapidly evolving AI stack, Essity gains both the technical foundation and operational expertise to evolve into an AI-driven enterprise — one that can react to market dynamics faster, optimize resource use, and deliver smarter experiences for customers and employees alike.
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