At the last stop of the Digit Export Day 2026 roadshow, Promos Italia revealed the results of its most recent poll on the adoption of digital technologies for internationalization on June 11, 2026 in Milan. The event, which was sponsored by ING Italia and the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce, brought together institutional stakeholders, export experts, and business executives to explore how digital tools and artificial intelligence are changing the internationalization strategies of Italian SMEs.
According to the report, the use of AI in export operations is growing quickly, with 21% of SMEs believing that digital technologies are crucial for breaking into new markets and another 32% acknowledging its significant role. Nevertheless, in spite of these advancements, investment remains limited, with just 5% of companies in 2025 allocating more than €50,000 to digital technologies that facilitate internationalization. The study also highlighted the growing use of AI for multilingual content development, international marketplace management and market intelligence, yet it revealed that many companies still have not completely incorporated these tools into their export strategies.
Additionally, Promo’s findings further demonstrated that while Italy’s traditional Made in Italy industries remained robust, the nation’s high-value manufacturing sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering, and mechatronics, were also in growing demand internationally. This expansion of the Italian exporting landscape is highly connected to investment in AI and digital tools, especially in the case of SMEs. The organization states that every euro invested through the Chamber of Commerce system results in an added €60 in exports per year, illustrating the financial benefits of assisting SME digitalization and global expansion.
Today, 95% of Italian SMEs run bilingual websites, and 58% of them participate in organized overseas sales or promotional efforts. However, only 32% of them update their websites on a regular basis, indicating that many have not yet effectively leveraged their online presence to produce qualified leads and long-term business prospects in foreign markets. Promos concluded by stating that although AI and digital technologies are becoming more significant factors in export competitiveness, more investment and strategic integration will be needed to fully realize their potential. Enhancing SMEs’ digital capabilities will be crucial to boosting long-term economic growth and Italy’s global footprint, as well as the success of the businesses themselves.
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