At the prestigious EIMA International fair in Bologna, leading experts and representatives from major companies and universities highlighted massive investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and the revolutionary changes it brings to agriculture and industry. While Europe is lagging behind the U.S. and China in this race, Italy shows significant growth — the Italian AI market has risen from 218 million euros in 2018 to 710 million in 2023, with forecasts showing no signs of slowing down.
“No room for waiting – artificial intelligence is the new internet,” declared Giampaolo Barbieri, CEO of Barbieri srl and a member of FederUnacoma’s Presidential Council. In his address on “AI: Industry Prospects,” Barbieri explained that artificial intelligence will not only transform large corporations but also small and medium-sized businesses, with data showing that companies using AI more than double their growth and profit opportunities.
This year’s EIMA also unveiled a range of AI applications in agriculture that significantly enhance productivity. Examples include visual recognition systems to detect plant diseases and irrigation deficiencies, as well as robots automating harvesting processes. AI is also used for sorting in the fruit and vegetable sector and optimizing packaging, revolutionizing all levels of the production process.
Marco Bertogna, professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, warns that Europe lacks the resources to catch up with the U.S. and China, whose companies dominate AI investments. “It is never too late to invest, but we need to accelerate,” he emphasized, adding that agricultural mechanization is especially suited for AI, particularly in the field of autonomous driving.
Data from the Polytechnic University of Milan confirms the continuous growth of Italy’s AI market, which has increased from 210 million euros in 2018 to 760 million in 2023, showing a 52% rise over the previous year. This trend demonstrates that Italy is rapidly advancing, striving to catch up with global AI leaders — a revolution poised to transform not only agriculture but the entire industry.