Italian industry is still too undigital: data from our study

Only 48% of digital maturity. That's the merciless--but useful--picture that emerges from the Benchmarking Study “What's Next in Operations?” by Bonfiglioli Consulting, published by Technology & Innovation magazine in its March 2026 issue.

The two-year research analyzed over 100 companies in 22 industries--for 85% composed of C-level figures--measuring the level of maturity in five key areas: Operations, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Digitization and Human Resources.

What emerges from the study

The results show an Italian industry with clear strengths but a structural digital lag:

• Sustainability: 89% of maturity - the most advanced area, with 74% of companies investing up to 5% of turnover in sustainable initiatives.
• Operations: 71% of maturity - robust processes, with 62% of companies having an Operational Excellence program.
• HR: 58% of maturity - growing, but 92% of companies invest less than 5% of turnover in training.
• Digitization: only 48% maturity - the tipping point, with 5% of firms not yet initiating any digital investment.

The AI node: half of companies haven't started yet

According to Marco Brandalesi, Principal at Bonfiglioli Consulting, half of the companies in the sample have not started any artificial intelligence projects -- neither analytical, nor operational, nor generative. The main obstacles? Fear of exposing trade secrets, uncertainty about ROI and the difficulty of identifying concrete applications.

"Businesses know they are lagging behind, but they don't know exactly where they need to progress the most.“ - Marco Brandalesi

Those, on the other hand, who have already introduced AI do so primarily on transactional processes--customer management, supply chain, supplier relations--with visible returns in terms of speed, flexibility, and market reputation.

Where do you start from?

Brandalesi's answer is stark: from managers and people. Before the technological revolution-robots, advanced hardware, electromechanical actuators-comes to factories, organizations must already be ready. Those who do not prepare now run the risk of being unprepared for very rapid change.

Title: Technology & Innovation - No. 1, March 2026
Publication Date: March 10, 2026
Author: Susanna Bagnoli, freelance journalist
Interviewed: Marco Brandalesi, Principal of Bonfiglioli Consulting