From regional pilot projects to a national infrastructure for technology adoption. Unioncamere and the Italian Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI4I) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that launches a strategic partnership to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in adopting artificial intelligence through the network of Chambers of Commerce. The agreement defines a shared operational model that can be implemented nationwide, highlighting the role of the Chambers of Commerce and the Digital Enterprise Centers (PID) as the primary channel for SMEs to access innovation, and that of AI4I as the national reference point for industrial research, the standardization of offerings, and the matching of supply and demand for Artificial Intelligence.
Thanks to the collaboration and expertise of the Italian Institute of Artificial Intelligence, in the coming months the Chambers of Commerce’s Digital Enterprise Centers will also support SMEs in adopting AI, – notes Andrea Prete, President of Unioncamere. – The services offered by the PIDs, which to date have already supported over one million businesses through information and training programs, are being further strengthened. Our goal is to make this technology accessible to the entire business community, enabling even less structured businesses to fully capitalize on its opportunities.
Fabio Pammolli, President of AI4I
AI Match has confirmed that SMEs’ adoption of Artificial Intelligence can be facilitated through a structured, scalable, and replicable process. At the heart of this model is SUK, the System for User Knowledge developed by AI4I, which structures a national ecosystem that bridges innovation needs and production capacity. AI4I acts as the hub of this ecosystem, bringing together scientific and engineering expertise, assessment and training capabilities, and a network of qualified providers to guide companies through the entire adoption process. The agreement with Unioncamere, which expands the pilot program designed in collaboration with the Turin Chamber of Commerce to a national scale, now makes this model available to the chamber of commerce system.
The Memorandum of Understanding establishes a multi-year collaboration that includes training activities, technology assessments, regional “AI Match” initiatives, and co-design and development programs. All of this leverages AI4I’s SUK (System for User Knowledge) platform and supports small businesses from understanding their needs through to the implementation of solutions. The model can be adapted to different regional contexts while maintaining a common methodology and shared tools, with the goal of accelerating the adoption of Artificial Intelligence across the Italian manufacturing sector and strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs.
At the heart of the Protocol lies a principle of strong institutional complementarity. AI4I provides scientific expertise, technological development capabilities, applied research, and the SUK marketplace, while Unioncamere, together with the Chambers of Commerce, Dintec, and the PID network, ensures the ability to reach the business community and support companies as they adopt Artificial Intelligence. The result is a national technology transfer ecosystem that combines research, innovation, and local presence into a single operational model.
The first test case for this innovative model, designed to foster the creation of a national ecosystem for innovation adoption by SMEs, was AI Match Torino, a project promoted by AI4I and the Turin Chamber of Commerce, implemented in collaboration with Fondazione Piemonte Innova, which is currently concluding with the selection of the twenty projects that will move on to the implementation phase.
SUK (System for User Knowledge) is the national ecosystem developed by AI4I that brings together artificial intelligence solutions created by small Italian manufacturers, evaluates providers based on technical and industrial criteria, and identifies the partners best aligned with the project’s objectives for user companies. Today, the platform brings together approximately 140 qualified providers and 186 artificial intelligence solutions distributed across the entire corporate value chain, providing businesses with a technology ecosystem that has already been validated and can be implemented immediately.
