Business · Companies · 20 hrs ago
Italian AI-focused firms spend more on staff and generate more value
A study of Italian businesses focused on artificial intelligence found that they spend more on staff and generate more value than comparable firms.
At the end of 2025, Italy had 14,840 such businesses, ten times the number in 2015.
Most are small and young: 93.1% are microbusinesses, and 72% began operating between 2021 and 2025.
In 2024, their median staff costs were €256,000, compared with €147,000 for comparable firms, while median value added was €237,000, compared with €158,000.
Their value added per worker was also higher, at €50,400 versus €45,900.
The study links higher staff costs to hiring highly qualified workers, but says a shortage of skilled people is a key barrier to growth; Italy has fewer university graduates aged 25 to 34 than the EU average.
It also notes that 76% of small and medium-sized Italian businesses have not invested in AI and do not plan to do so.
Italian firms focused on artificial intelligence had median labour costs 74% higher than comparable firms in 2024.
Their median added value was 50% higher, while labour productivity was 9.8% higher.
At the end of 2025, Italy had 14,840 AI-focused firms, ten times the number in 2015.
Most of these firms are young and small, and the research links their higher staffing costs to employing highly qualified professionals.
Researchers identify shortages of human capital as a key obstacle to the sector’s development.
- Who
- Italian AI-focused firms, compared with a control group of firms.
- What
- AI-focused firms had higher median labour costs and added value.
- When
- The financial comparisons are for 2024; the number of firms is reported at the end of 2025.
- Where
- Italy.
- Why
- The research links higher labour costs to the employment of highly qualified professionals.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
relevant
The first issue is human capital
they need highly qualified skills and we must create the conditions to retain in Italy the talent we train
Italy had 1,441 AI-focused firms.
Median production value at AI-focused firms rose by 124.2%, and median added value rose by 139.4%.
Italy had 14,840 AI-focused firms, ten times the 2015 figure.
- AI-focused firms
- 14,840 at the end of 2025
- Employment
- About 105,800 workers, more than 22,600 above the 2022 figure
- Median labour costs
- €256,000 at AI-focused firms versus €147,000 in the control group in 2024
- Median added value
- €237,000 at AI-focused firms versus €158,000 in the control group in 2024
- Labour productivity
- €50,400 per worker at AI-focused firms versus €45,900 in the control group in 2024
Sources
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