Recent research by I‑Com and TeamSystem estimates that if 60% of Italian SMEs adopt AI by 2030, their collective revenue could grow by €1.3 billion. However, only 8.2% of SMEs currently use AI. This gap highlights both urgent challenges and vast opportunity.
AI as a Strategic Economic Lever
First, this figure underscores AI’s power as a strategic lever for Italy’s economy. Second, it demonstrates that widespread AI adoption could significantly boost national GDP. Third, it positions AI not as a niche tech trend, but as a pillar of SME competitiveness and economic resilience into the next decade.
The Current Adoption Gap
Despite clear benefits, adoption remains low. While large enterprises continue to invest steadily in AI, only 8.2% of SMEs deploy AI tools. As a result, many small firms are missing out on productivity gains, cost savings, and competitive differentiation—making early adoption a make-or-break move.
Revenue Impact: + 10–20 % Over 5 Years
The Unimpresa Research Center estimates an annual turnover increase of 10–20 %, driven by two major factors:
- Up to 20 % in operational cost savings
- More than 15 % boost in production efficiency
If these gains are applied nationally and compounded yearly, reaching an additional €1.3 billion by 2030 becomes very plausible.
Concrete Benefits: Efficiency, Costs & Market Reach
A real-world analysis by Vintti of SMEs abroad shows:
- 82 % of SMEs improve operational efficiency by 22–33 % through automation
- They also experience 5–15 % revenue growth compared to competitors.
Applying these percentages to the aggregated revenues of Italian SMEs strongly supports the €1.3 billion uplift estimate by 2030.
PMI + AI = Revenue Boost?
- There is no specific PMI (Project Management Institute) report indicating a €1.300 billion revenue jump solely from AI adoption.
- However, PMI does highlight that only 18% of project managers currently have practical AI experience, even though 82% of senior leaders expect AI to influence project delivery within five years
Conclusion
The PMI AI revenue boost opportunity is massive – but time is of the essence. With only 8.2% adoption, Italian SMEs risk being left out of a transformation that could inject €1.300 billion into the economy by 2030.
It’s Prodigy stands ready to guide them: from strategy to execution, with tailored AI solutions that drive growth, efficiency, and resilience.