Made in Italy companies need skills, and CIM responds with a training ecosystem that combines knowledge, technique, strategy, and territories.
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A country to train, an opportunity not to be missed
Artificial intelligence is no longer a technology of the future but rather a competitive lever of the present. Yet Italy, and in particular the productive fabric of small and medium-sized enterprises—which forms its backbone—still struggles to catch up with this transition.
Available data tells us that only 8% of Italian SMEs use AI in production processes, and just 6% employ it in logistics.
In large companies, the percentages rise, indicating that more than 50% have operationally integrated AI into their processes, highlighting a structural gap that, if not bridged, risks becoming a permanent bug for the country’s competitiveness.
The reasons for this delay are multiple and range from poor digital culture at the corporate leadership level, to a shortage of specialized technical professionals, to widespread mistrust of technologies often perceived as distant from daily operational reality.
At the root of everything emerges a common denominator: the training deficit. What is not known is not adopted, and what one has not been adequately prepared for is not known.
Investing in skills means creating the conditions for conscious, concrete innovation that is truly integrated into business processes.
It is in this scenario that the role of national Competence Centers takes on strategic value. Among these, CIM (Competence Center for Manufacturing Industry) stands out as one of the most active reference points for accompanying companies along the path of upskilling and reskilling their human capital, with an approach that integrates technical rigor, managerial vision, and territorial roots, offering companies concrete tools to transform training into a real competitive advantage.
CIM: an ecosystem of skills serving Italian industry
Founded with the support of MIMIT as part of the National Industry 4.0 Plan, CIM is the Competence Center based in Turin that brings together universities, research centers, and companies with the goal of accelerating technological innovation in Italian manufacturing.
CIM’s winning strategy is based on concrete and forward-looking choices: the creation of laboratories dedicated to technology transfer, the established pilot lines, and the building of an operational team composed of professionals with proven experience in the industrial field alongside young talents graduated in key disciplines for innovation. A wealth of skills that enables Italian companies to be supported with qualified, pragmatic, results-oriented assistance. Completing this ecosystem is active collaboration with founding members and selected partners, which further expands and strengthens CIM’s offering of skills and solutions, generating an integrated network serving the competitiveness of the production system.
The mission of the Turin competence center goes beyond applied research. At its core are technology transfer and, increasingly, the training of human capital as an essential condition for effective and sustainable adoption of new technologies.
The goal is to provide Italian small and medium-sized enterprises with a concrete tool for knowledge and precise guidance regarding the application of Artificial Intelligence, dispelling false myths, putting into perspective fears related to this new technology, and showing, with data and real cases, where and how AI can generate measurable value.
An approach that translates into concrete actions: field studies, active presence at major trade and technology events, such as A&T 2026, where CIM curated and animated the “House of Artificial Intelligence,” and a structured, dynamic, and continuously evolving training offering.
A commitment that strengthens CIM’s positioning as a skills hub capable of connecting technology, companies, and people in a continuous growth path.
Training already delivered: who, what, and how
On the training offering front, the CIM Competence Center and its educational proposal have already built an articulated catalog of courses covering the entire value chain of AI skills, ranging from strategic understanding for managers to technical implementation for developers.
Among the courses delivered and established are:
- Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence for technicians:
a foundational course covering machine learning, deep learning, and advanced architectures (CNN, RNN, LSTM, transformers), with practical deep dives into Python applied to AI and data visualization.
- AI for Industry: fundamentals of artificial intelligence for decision-makers:
the flagship course for managers and executives, designed for those who need to make strategic decisions on AI adoption without necessarily having a technical background. As the course description states: “The course is designed for managers and professionals who want to understand how Artificial Intelligence can become a true engine of competitiveness in the industrial context.”
- Courses on Generative AI and AI Agents:
practical modules dedicated to Large Language Models, prompt engineering, development of autonomous agents based on LLMs, and enterprise integration through RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architectures.
- Computer Vision and Data Analysis:
technical courses for those working in data analysis and image processing applied to industrial processes.
- Cybersecurity:
specific courses to better understand the risks of intrusion into corporate networks with attacks that are becoming increasingly sophisticated day by day and require training people to prevent them.
The distinctive feature of CIM’s training approach is the combination of theoretical framework and hands-on practical activities on real data, which allows participants to bring back to their companies not just concepts, but immediately applicable tools.
Courses are delivered both in inter-company catalog format (with limited group sizes to ensure quality interaction) and as customized in-house courses, designed for companies that prefer training interventions tailored to their specific operational needs.
In 2025, more than 100 courses and training programs were delivered, 50% of which were inter-company, with specific focus on Artificial Intelligence. The initiative involved approximately 700 companies, 80% of which were SMEs, and more than 1,300 participants including managers, specialists, and professionals.
Numbers that tell a story of concrete growth and testify to CIM’s ability to intercept the real needs of the production fabric, transforming innovation into widespread competence.
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Upcoming: the 2026 calendar and next steps
The 2026 calendar includes an even richer and more structured training offering, with numerous courses dedicated to AI, and an average of two courses per month.
Additionally, territorial events are planned in collaboration with ITS and employer associations: in the first half of the year, appointments will involve Abruzzo and Puglia, with the goal of bringing skills and opportunities directly to local businesses.
Outreach, white papers, and territorial roots: training that goes beyond the classroom
CIM’s training vision goes beyond delivering courses in the strict sense. A significant part of the commitment to spreading AI skills is expressed in the production of outreach publications and white papers with highly specialized content, designed to offer companies clear and authoritative tools to navigate the landscape of artificial intelligence applied to industry. Below are the white papers published by CIM: 1)Artificial Intelligence for Industry, 2)Generative Artificial Intelligence for Industry: a lever for the competitiveness of Made in Italy companies, 3)Additive Manufacturing: a key factor for Industry, 4)Advanced Robotics in Industry: technological evolutions, impacts, and prospects. This latest contribution analyzes how digital technologies, including Physical AI, are redefining the role of robots in the Industry 5.0 paradigm.
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In parallel, CIM promotes structured action across the national territory, with interventions and projects that directly reach companies in different districts and regional contexts. For example, collaborations are underway with IAM, the Innovation Hub for Automotive and Mechatronics in Chieti, and agreements are being finalized with the Abruzzo Region. In December, two training days were held: one at the IAM headquarters, aimed at companies in the Atessa industrial district and the entire Abruzzo Region, and one dedicated to students at the ITS Mechatronics in Lanciano, both meeting with great success in terms of participation and interest. CIM is also strengthening its presence in Southern Italy, where a new branch office was opened in Puglia at the end of 2025, with the goal of making continuous training and support to local businesses even more effective. In fact, CIM’s support is made concrete through specific “territorial hubs” such as the one in Cuneo created within the Michelin plant, and through collaborations signed with Chambers of Commerce and employer associations in various territories. These agreements aim to build a widespread training infrastructure capable of reaching even companies that, due to size or geographic location, would have difficulty independently accessing CIM’s ecosystem.
A strategy that transforms training from a one-time service into a development process for the local production system, integrating with regional development policies and with economic intermediation networks that have in-depth knowledge of the needs of individual supply chains.
Why invest in AI training?
For companies wondering about the opportunity to invest in artificial intelligence training, CIM’s experience suggests some key indications:
- training must be contextual. Effective programs combine theoretical foundations of ML and Deep Learning with practical applications using real corporate data. The gap between theory and daily operations is the primary cause of AI project failure;
- differentiated courses are needed for different targets. Managers and decision-makers need to understand AI roadmaps, governance, and ROI. Technicians and developers must know how to implement, model, and integrate. An effective training offering speaks to both, using different languages and content;
- outcomes must be measured. Before starting a training program, companies should agree on clear KPIs with providers: the application rate of acquired skills, the number of projects launched, and the expected ROI. Transforming training from an expense into a measurable investment is the real challenge—and indeed the real opportunity—of this moment.
The adoption gap of artificial intelligence in Italian SMEs cannot be bridged with the mere availability of technologies. It is bridged by investing in people, preparing organizations for change, and building an ecosystem capable of accompanying companies along the entire transformation journey. In this scenario, CIM, with its training catalog, its widespread territorial presence, and its ability to bridge research and industry, positions itself as a strategic partner to guide companies toward solid and sustainable innovation.
The challenge is ambitious, but the numbers of the gap are too evident to be ignored. They represent the impetus to intervene decisively, reduce the gap, and accompany companies toward a more widespread, conscious, and strategic adoption of Artificial Intelligence.
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