PRESS RELEASE Carfora (Confimi Industria Campania): “Without AI, SMEs will be excluded from global markets” Export, Made in Italy, and digitalization at the center of a conference on the future of Campania's businesses

On June 16, 2025, the multimedia hall of the Campania Regional Council, located at the Centro Direzionale in Naples, hosted the conference titled "Campania's Made in Italy in the World: Opportunities and Challenges of the Public System for Export and Internationalization." The event was promoted by the Suggestioni Campane Promotion Consortium and Confimi Industria Campania.

It served as a moment of dialogue between institutions, businesses, and local stakeholders to explore the challenges of internationalization, with a specific focus on artificial intelligence as a strategic lever for the digital transformation of SMEs.

According to ISTAT 2023 data, the regional business landscape remains highly fragmented: of the roughly 500,000 active enterprises in Campania, 94% are micro and small businesses (0–9 employees). Over 270,000 of these firms have no employees (53%), and about 210,000 are micro-enterprises (41%). Medium and large companies represent only 0.6% and 0.05%, respectively. While resilient, this entrepreneurial structure risks being penalized in an increasingly competitive and technologically advanced global market.

In 2024, Campania's exports reached €21.7 billion, ranking the region seventh in Italy. Leading sectors include pharmaceuticals (over €6 billion) and agri-food (more than €5.5 billion). Following the surge in 2023 (+48.3%), the automotive sector is now showing signs of slowdown, though it still makes a significant contribution to national exports.

The conference opened with remarks from Brunella Cimadomo, journalist with the Campania Region's Press Office, who emphasized structural issues hindering the regional production system:

"Competitiveness, access to innovation, and protection of regional production identity are the true challenges we face. The inefficiencies in the public export system, the impact of AI on SMEs, energy costs, bureaucracy, and labor shortages: these are the urgent matters that need addressing. We need an industrial policy based on national strategic autonomy and the active role of businesses."

Senator Gianluca Cantalamessa stressed the value of manual labor, often overshadowed by the tech narrative:

"The words Made in only mean something when followed by Italy—a fact Italians too often take for granted. Made in Italy is born primarily from work done by hand, a value our generation has neglected. We must restore dignity to manual labor: everyone talks about artificial intelligence, but no one mentions 'artificial hands.' It's the nobility of hand-crafted work that has made our country great in the world. We need to reclaim that."

Hon. Marco Cerreto, Campanian MP and FdI leader in the Agriculture Committee, highlighted the crucial role of local territories:

"Campania has the potential to compete globally, but it needs vision, efficient infrastructure, and concrete tools for SME internationalization. The Meloni government is committed to strengthening Italy's export system; now it's up to the regions to support businesses through a shared public-private strategy."

Regional councilor Hon. Alfonso Piscitelli reaffirmed the institutional responsibility to support exporting SMEs:

"Public administrations must establish a regulatory framework that enables the creation of a true territorial support system for exports, including shared service hubs. We need a 'Campania system' that can concretely respond to the needs of the production sector. Training and access to advanced technologies will be fundamental. Without artificial intelligence, it's impossible to offer competitive services on a global scale. The active involvement of Chambers of Commerce will also be essential."

Regional councilor Hon. Severino Nappi pointed out the lack of structured dialogue with social partners:

"The big absentee in the past ten years of regional governance has been meaningful engagement with social partners. After the next regional elections, we aim to launch a Pact for Campania to finally build a serious industrial policy capable of strengthening our enterprises and creating stable, high-quality employment."

Naples city councilor Gennaro Demetrio Paipais emphasized the importance of Neapolitan production identity:

"Our locally rooted businesses, renowned worldwide, are key to the city's economy and to promoting our traditions and innovations abroad. We are building an integrated path that enhances the historical, artistic, and productive identity of Naples, putting local businesses, artisans, and professionals at the center."

Denis Bilo, CEO of Fluence Group, presented a practical AI innovation for SMEs:

"Bringing artificial intelligence into the operational core of Italian SMEs is no longer optional—it's essential. Thanks to our partnership with Confimi Industria Campania, we'll be making one of our most advanced tools—the AI Seller—available directly on the Consortium's institutional portal. It's a virtual assistant capable of selling, communicating, and managing operations 24/7, already in use by dozens of companies."

Francesco Franzese, CEO of Fiammante, emphasized the risk of Italian Sounding:

"Unfair competition not only harms authentic businesses but also devalues years of tradition, quality, and hard work. Protecting Made in Italy means preserving the true value of our products and ensuring a sustainable future for our region."

Carmine Lepore, founder of ATB Consulting, outlined the opportunities AI presents for the Made in Italy sectors, tourism, and cultural heritage. He underscored the importance of PNRR funds and the Transition 5.0 program in supporting enterprise investment and training:

"At the center of it all remains the human being—the Deus ex Machina."

Alessandro Tatone, national president of Confimi Alimentare, called for innovative ecosystems to support the agri-food sector:

"To truly compete in international markets, our SMEs must be supported by strong collaborative networks, investments in training, and access to advanced technologies. Institutions and businesses must work together to create an ecosystem that fosters growth, innovation, and sustainability in the Italian agri-food sector."

During the event, Luigi Carfora—President of both the Suggestioni Campane Promotion Consortium and Confimi Industria Campania—stressed the vital role of AI in the future of SMEs:

"Artificial intelligence is not a game or a passing trend. It is a concrete and essential tool for the growth of our SMEs, which must adopt this technology to enhance their competitiveness in global markets. If AI is resisted or misused, we risk further dismantling an already fragile entrepreneurial fabric, leaving it vulnerable to increasingly digitized global competition. The new challenges we face require us to embrace innovation with awareness and pragmatism—so we can transform it into a real engine of development rather than exclusion."

In closing, Luigi Carfora reaffirmed the concrete commitment of the Consortium and Confimi to support businesses through this transformation process:

"The public system must once again become an ally of businesses, not an obstacle. As a Consortium and as Confimi, we are ready to do our part: building alliances, transferring knowledge, and accelerating the adoption of enabling technologies. Campania's SMEs cannot afford to wait any longer—the time to act is now, together."