The 2025 Benchmarking Study, conducted by Bonfiglioli on a significant sample of over 100 companies representing 22 industrial sectors—with 85% of participants holding C-level roles—outlines the new competitive landscape of Italian manufacturing.
Italian industry remains solid and responsible, with high levels of environmental maturity and an Operational Excellence index of 71%. However, a growing lag in process digitization is emerging, which today represents the main strategic lever for regaining competitiveness.
In an increasingly complex landscape, characterized by high demand volatility and a structural skills shortage, the key to ensuring sustainable growth and resilience lies in adopting more agile organizational models. In these models, data, skills, and strategic vision become essential competitive assets.
Understanding ”where we are“ and ”what it takes to compete" is therefore a fundamental strategic step for companies that want to lead the future of Italian manufacturing.
The Permanent Observatory provides an up-to-date picture of the maturity level of Italian companies across five key impact areas: Operational Excellence, Supply Chain, Digital Transformation, Sustainability, and Human Resources & Competence Development. The analysis is structured into four levels of operational maturity: static, reactive, preventive, and proactive.
Italian companies demonstrate a solid operational maturity index of 71%.
The most significant finding emerges from the presence of a formalized Operational Excellence strategy in 62% of companies, with a predominantly medium- to long-term time horizon: 71% of strategic plans cover at least 3 years.
Strategic priorities confirm a paradigm shift:
A transition from a cost-driven paradigm to a value-oriented approach focused on differentiation and customer experience is evident.
An analysis of operational mindsets, however, reveals a crucial element: most companies are at a reactive or proactive stage, while the preventive approach—the most strategic one for anticipating the market—remains relatively uncommon. The presence of ”structured“ yet still ”low-tech" companies (26%) demonstrates that process maturity does not always translate into the ability to digitally scale performance.
The Italian supply chain has a maturity level of 67%: a decent performance that nevertheless highlights significant room for improvement, especially in terms of digitization and end-to-end integration.
The 46% of the sample falls into the ”Fragile Supply Chain“ category, characterized by predominantly manual processes, sporadic planning, and low digitization. 30% operates with a ”disconnected supply chain,“ a sign of an incomplete transition: processes show improvements, but information flows do not circulate with sufficient fluidity between the various links in the chain. Only 14% can be defined as ”smart," and just 7% falls into the category of digital leaders.
The main gaps emerge on three strategic fronts:
The message is unequivocal: even a carefully designed supply chain loses effectiveness without adequate digital support. Resilience is no longer enough today. Predictive capabilities must be developed.
The Benchmarking Study highlights that the average Digitalization Score for Italian companies stands at 48%: the lowest value among all the areas analyzed and, at the same time, the strategic lever with the greatest potential for improvement.
Analysis of perceptions regarding the level of digitalization reveals a highly polarized Italian industrial sector:
Even more significant is the finding that only 41% of the sample can currently be defined as a Smart Factory.
42% have a multi-year roadmap (3–5 years) integrated into their strategic plan, while 49% are still in the exploratory phase.
Here, too, a key factor emerges: critical mass.
Companies with revenues exceeding €250 million show the best results, while SMEs—though aware of the need to digitize—struggle to move from ad-hoc initiatives to coherent and structured roadmaps.
Another important finding emerges from the analysis: 38% of companies have not yet implemented cybersecurity policies, while only 23% have structured and established policies.
In an increasingly interconnected industrial ecosystem, where IoT factories are the norm, this gap constitutes a significant strategic vulnerability.
Only 34% of the sample has launched AI and GenAI projects, while just 31% uses them in a structured and established manner.
The identified application priorities are:
The main barriers to adoption remain data quality and availability, poorly integrated information systems, and cultural resistance to change.
Analysis by revenue bracket reveals a direct correlation between company size and level of digital maturity:
Digital transformation is therefore a matter of critical mass and strategic governance.
Despite growing interest in artificial intelligence, its adoption in the Italian manufacturing sector is still in its infancy. The analysis reveals that the most widespread applications are concentrated in specific areas:
However, a significant gap emerges between technological potential and actual implementation, with most companies still in the experimental phase rather than structured adoption.
With a Sustainability Maturity Level of 89%, sustainability emerges as a strategic pillar of Italian industry, confirmed by investments that are now structural:
Distribution of sustainability investments:
Adoption of formal certification systems:
Companies in the sample show a high adoption rate of sustainability certifications:
Only 7% of the surveyed companies lack certifications.
An opportunity yet to be seized: the social dimension remains limited, with 5% of the sample certified as B Corps.
Sustainability as a strategic lever:
No longer a cost, but an investment to:
The average level of HR maturity stands at 58%: a rising figure, but still far from a fully mature and strategic model.
Investments in training: signs of change
Currently, 88% of companies invest less than 5% of their revenue in training. However, a positive trend is emerging: 34% of the sample expects an increase in training budgets over the next year, confirming a growing awareness of the strategic value of human capital.
Companies’ training priorities:
The strategic gap: a lack of knowledge governance
The real critical issue lies in knowledge management: over 76% of companies still do not have a structured internal academy or a formalized model for skills transfer.
This gap represents a significant competitive risk in a context where the retention of know-how and the speed of upskilling are key differentiators for business competitiveness.
The 2025 Benchmarking Study outlines a clear scenario: Italian industry can rely on a solid operational culture and a concrete commitment to sustainability. However, this foundation may not be enough. To maintain competitiveness, it is necessary to accelerate the strategic integration of Operations, Digital Transformation, and People Development.
The future of manufacturing is based on an essential strategic balance:
Stable Processes + Smart Technologies + Widespread Skills.
Only companies capable of simultaneously investing in operational excellence, digital intelligence, and skills development will be able to successfully lead the evolution of Italian industrial manufacturing.
In an increasingly competitive and dynamic market environment, leadership will belong to those who can methodically integrate technology, skills, and strategic vision, transforming these three pillars into a sustainable competitive advantage.
ai translated