The 2024 FVG Digital Report ‘Business Strategies in the age of AI: How IT enterprises tackle and change the market’ analyses and describes how the many small and medium-sized companies in the digital world of FVG, with great dynamism, are generating new product and service offers related to Artificial Intelligence. 

A group of researchers and PhD students from DEAMS analysed how AI companies are ‘laying the groundwork’ for AI in its various forms with their customers. What are the business models of AI-based digital enterprises? Mainly two: niche and ‘digital tailoring’ applications and the classic ‘system integrator’. There are still few stand-alone solutions.

The Report produced by DITEDI, now in its fourth edition, was realised with the scientific contribution of the DEAMS Department of UniTS (in collaboration with colleagues from UniUD, Area Science Park and Banca Intesa Reserach Department), which reconstructed the technological, sector-based and market diversification strategies of mechanical engineering companies, identifying some development trajectories typical of the sector. 

The full report is available at https://fvgdigitale.ditedi.it

The 2024 data show that the number of ICT companies in the region (2908) is seeing a constant and regular increase. +2.4% compared to 2022, for a total of 2214 companies in Friuli Venezia Giulia operating in the ICT sector, up by 0.9% again compared to 2022, with the province of Udine representing the reference point for ICT companies in the region, as it hosts almost half of those identified.

Joint stock companies (1056 units) represent the prevalent corporate structure, accounting for 47.7% of the total, increasing by +1.7% since 2022. They are followed by sole proprietorships (812 units, 36.7%), which record a more significant nominal increase, with 31 more units compared to 2022, offsetting the decrease of 32 units among partnerships (318).

From an economic point of view, after a negative 2020, with a more pronounced decrease for the hardware sector and the recovery in 2021, 2022 was still a positive year, overall better than the pre-Covid period. On the other hand, 2023 settled for more modest increases in turnover, lower than the previous year except for service industries. Overall, there is a fluctuating trend over time, with an improvement in 2021, a decline in 2022 and a substantial hold in 2023, mainly in favour of operations management. With respect to offer type, the hardware sector also suffers the most in terms of profitability.

In any case, the regional digital sector represents a strong innovative drive for the local economy and business system. In fact, the ICT sector currently has 102 innovative start-ups, which operate mainly in software development and account for 52% of all regional start-ups. 

Other such signs can also be found in the innovation propensity indicator, which shows that 13% of companies in the regional ICT sector present at least one sign of innovation. Such companies represent 9% of all regional companies with an objective propensity for innovation.

Looking instead at patenting activity, a progressive increase since 2017 for both Italian and European filings immediately jumps out. While this trend is positive, it shows how in absolute terms the sector has a low propensity for patenting compared to much higher numbers in ‘analogue’ sectors.

The topic of the creditworthiness of companies belonging to the digital cluster was also examined in depth, thanks to the collaboration with Modefinance Srl. The analysis highlights that the credit profile of digital companies operating in FVG is solid and making steady progress through the years. At the same time, the average riskiness of companies in the sector appears limited. Therefore, we see a sector growing in a harmonious way without showing the ‘jerks’ typical of other IT contexts, such as those of America, which are on the contrary characterised by greater riskiness, but also by higher average growth rates.

The FVG digital ecosystem thus appears to be growing and ready for the AI challenge.