The research calculates that at the end of last year, 14,840 companies capable of offering artificial intelligence services were operational in the Peninsula. Of these, over 70% were created between 2021 and 2025 and almost all (93.1%) can be classified as micro-enterprises. In absolute terms, last year the number of employees working in the sector exceeded 105,800, over 22 thousand more than in 2022. "The ecosystem of Italian companies that make artificial intelligence the heart of their offering is rapidly expanding", underlines De Poli, according to whom it is "a young and innovative entrepreneurial energy" that needs to be accompanied in growth.
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During the day dedicated to the topic of artificial intelligence and digital literacy, the centrist senator highlighted in particular two critical aspects linked to the proliferation of AI companies in Italy. "The first theme is human capital: these companies need highly qualified skills and we must create the conditions to retain the talents we train in Italy", says De Poli. As the research highlights, with a share of graduates between 25 and 34 years old equal to 31.6%, Italy struggles to keep pace with the EU average where in this age group 44.1% have a university qualification that can also be used in AI companies.
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For De Poli, a second critical issue concerns the adoption of AI in small and medium-sized businesses where "76% have not invested nor plan to invest in AI" and only "7% have started structured training". "We must therefore create a bridge between those who develop artificial intelligence and those who must use it, promoting a true digital transformation of production processes. The challenge is to build an ecosystem in which businesses, universities and institutions work together. Because it is not enough to buy artificial intelligence: we must promote a true digital transformation, putting the person at the center and not the machine", he explains.
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According to Paolo Gubitta, full professor of business organization at the University of Padua and scientific coordinator of the UniPD - Infocamere research for "Digitalmeet", the artificial intelligence offer that has emerged "can contribute to the transformation of the Italian production system". “In 2024, the AI-focused companies observed in the balance sheet comparison have a median labor productivity 9.8% higher than that of comparable companies and a median added value 50% higher,” underlines Gubitta.
Given positive evidence on productivity, the research shows how Italian companies that make AI the core of their business are willing to offer higher financial rewards to their staff. In AI companies the median labor cost is 74% higher than in other comparable companies.
For these companies, 92% of which have been registered in the Register for less than ten years, the start-up phase is characterized above all by investments in qualified personnel awaiting future returns in terms of added value. Looking at the balance sheets, between 2020 and 2024, the median production value grew by 124.2%, the median added value by 139.4%. Data which according to Gubitta highlights "relevant differences" of which - he explains - the "organizational determinants" need to be explored further.
On the role of AI for industrial development, the survey "The Navi World Vision" carried out by the National Association of Young Innovators (Angi) calculates that for nine out of ten Italian managers, artificial intelligence represents a central asset but around half (53.4%) highlights how the lack of skills limits full implementation in the business world. According to the study, conducted in collaboration with Fiera Milano and presented on the occasion of the "Business Leaders Summit", in addition to the topic of skills, other obstacles to the adoption of AI in businesses emerge, from uncertainty about the investment to fears related to the risks of attacks and costs in cyber-security.
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