Italy’s Competence Centres are public-private partnerships designed to support SMEs in adopting Industry 4.0 technologies through technical advice, pilot testing, training and co-financed innovation projects. Led by universities or public research organisations and embedded in regional innovation ecosystems, the centres connect firms with research, industry and technology partners while promoting a more human-centred approach to digital transformation. Initial public funding supported both the establishment of the centres and SME innovation projects, with further expansion financed through Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. By the end of 2022, the centres had delivered a wide range of demonstration, training and consultancy activities, reaching thousands of companies, mostly SMEs, and funding more than 200 innovation projects. The model highlights the value of combining accessible firm-level services, test-before-you-invest infrastructure and place-based innovation partnerships to support SME digital upgrading.
Italy’s Competence Centres (CCs)
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Outreach |
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Closest UK Counterpart |
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Introduction
The national “Industria 4.0” plan was introduced by Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development in 2016 and launched in 2018. The programme allocated EUR 40 million in funding, with expected long-term impact extending until 2028.
The initiative was launched to address three systemic gaps in Italy’s innovation landscape:
The digital transformation gap between Italy and other advanced economies
The investment gap in technology transfer
The collaboration gap between industry and academia
A key element of this plan was the creation of Competence Centres (Centri di Competenza ad alta specializzazione, or CCs), which are part of the Italian innovation ecosystem alongside the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) and Testing and Experimentation Facilities. CCs are public-private partnerships that bring together key actors in the innovation ecosystem, such as universities, industry, and other public organisations to support businesses – particularly SMEs – in adopting advanced Industry 4.0 technologies.
CCs are tasked with providing guidance, training and hands-on support in implementing innovation, industrial research, and experimental development projects. Beyond technical assistance, CCs aim to promote a more human-centred approach to Industry 4.0, by offering services such as skills development, ergonomic system design, and participatory innovation.1,2
Delivery arrangements
There are eight CCs across the country (see blue points in Figure 1). They support SMEs by providing technical expertise, demonstration activities, and awareness-raising on societal issues, worker well-being, and the potential of collaborative technologies.
Source: The Italian House of Business (https://www.investinitaly.gov.it/en/innovation-ecosystem).
Some of the CC offerings for SMEs are the following3:
Support with technology adoption and integration into existing manufacturing processes.
Access to laboratories and facilities for testing and experimenting.
Pilot lines and testbeds showcasing Advanced Industry 4.0 technologies.
Specialised advising and coaching services for digital transformation.
Development and promotion of Industry 4.0 technologies, such as for physical-strain prevention and workers’ safety.
Support in the design and implementation of innovative projects in partnership with academic and other industrial partners.
Organisation of courses, workshops, and webinars on digital skills and Industry 4.0 subjects
Support for national and EU financing for innovation and technology deployment.
Facilitation of matchmaking and networking among SMEs, bigger companies and research centres.
Help with cybersecurity assessments.
Once a CC is operational, it becomes a central point where universities, research organisations and businesses come together to help SMEs understand and adopt Industry 4.0. CCs can also team up with EDIHs to enhance outreach and better tailor support to enterprise needs.
Each CC is led by a university or a public research centre and works with private companies that contribute 50% of the funding. While all CCs follow a broadly similar approach, each focuses on different thematic or sectoral priorities depending on regional strengths and needs.
Many services – such as training, workshops, tech audits, and access to pilot lines – are available on demand or via the centre's online services catalogue. Companies can typically browse this catalogue, contact the CC to learn more, receive a proposal, and access the requested service.4 These services are partly subsidised, with smaller firms receiving higher subsidies than larger ones.
For more structured innovation support, CCs launch regular calls for proposals. SMEs interested in co-developing or scaling up new technologies can apply by submitting a formal project proposal. Projects must involve at least one public or private research organisation and one or more business partners, such as business associations or technology providers. Proposals are evaluated by a technical committee in a single round to ensure equal treatment of all applicants.5
Budget
In 2018, at the beginning of the policy, the CC received funding through direct cost contributions for two primary purposes6:
Line A: establishment of the centres
Line B: supporting company-led innovation projects
For Line A, each centre could receive up to 50% of the costs for its launch and development, with a ceiling of EUR 7.5 million per CC. The other 50% had to be covered by private companies that are part of the centre. The total funding under this line was about EUR 43 million, which went directly to developing the centres’ infrastructure, for activities such as:
Setting up their organisational structure.
Building pilot production lines or technology demonstrators.
Providing assessment and guidance services to businesses.
Offering training.
Concerning Line B, companies could get co-funding for innovation, industrial research, and experimental development projects submitted through the centres, covering up to 50% of costs with a maximum of EUR 200 000 per project. Line B received approximately EUR 28 million to support companies carrying out selected innovation and research projects in collaboration with the CCs.
In total, EUR 72.77 million was made available7. The majority came entirely from national sources, but EUR 13 million came from the national complementary programme called “Enterprises and Competitiveness” (2014-2020).
Subsequently, a ministerial decree from March 20238 provided renewed funding for the eight CCs, to be disbursed over the 2023-2025 period. A total of EUR 113.4 million was allocated from the resources available under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, specifically for the investment in “Strengthening and expanding the thematic and territorial scope of technology transfer centres for industrial sectors”.
Outreach
According to data collected by the Italian Government through December 2022, the eight CCs had carried out over 2 000 demonstration activities of Industry 4.0 technologies, such as tutorials of Industry 4.0 technologies, pilot lines or testbeds for simulations, use-case presentations, technology trials, technology exhibitions, showcase of digital solutions, demonstration of data analytics, and monitoring tools. These activities mostly targeted SMEs, which made up 73% of the total beneficiaries of CCs’ services.
In addition, the CCs:
Organised more than 420 workshops and events.
Delivered around 511 free training events, involving around 29 000 participants from nearly 12 000 companies, mostly SMEs.
Offered 370 paid training courses, attended by almost 22 000 participants from 1 800 companies, for a total value of EUR 1.8 million.
Provided around 330 consultancy services, worth EUR 10 million.
Launched 19 calls for innovation projects, through which 211 projects were selected for funding, amounting to around EUR 24 million in grants.9
A 2024 impact study by the Università Politecnica Delle Marche10 examined how external actors support SMEs in adopting human-centred Industry 4.0 practices, with a focus on CCs. Based on six case studies and interviews – mainly with CC general managers – the study highlighted CCs' role beyond training, particularly in offering “test before you invest” infrastructure. These pilot environments reduce investment risks and help SMEs rethink business processes. CCs also act as intermediaries between SMEs and technology providers, aiming to address often-overlooked human factors.
Worker safety and ergonomics were widely prioritised. Many CCs promoted technologies to reduce physical strain and improve safety, with project calls explicitly rewarding proposals with positive health and social impacts. The open calls often included evaluation criteria related to societal and worker well-being and were designed to promote projects with ethical or social value. However, CCs’ representatives acknowledged that these criteria are often just formalities, with SMEs using standardised language to fulfil requirements. They stressed that continuous engagement, through training and advisory services, was more effective than one-off calls.
Psychological well-being and ethical concerns – such as data privacy or human-robot collaboration – were rarely addressed in CC operations. While some acknowledged these issues, they were often viewed as too abstract. Barriers included SME unpreparedness and unclear regulation, relegating ethical considerations to academic discussions or early-stage partnerships, far removed from daily practices.
Another evaluation by the University of Turin of the CC BI-REX offers broader lessons. It shows that success depends on leveraging local strengths, institutions, and networks. Key individuals, including university professors and institutional entrepreneurs, played a bridging role across sectors, building trust and legitimacy, especially in traditional industries. This highlights the importance of human capital and relational assets in CCs' early development.
BI-REX combined funding calls, training, and pilot-line access to foster collaboration between firms and research institutions. However, usage varied: nearby SMEs engaged more actively, while distant or smaller firms used only basic services, underscoring the importance of geographical proximity. The study also flagged additionality problems, as some SMEs used CC funds for projects they may have pursued regardless.
Despite the explicit inclusion of human-centred innovation goals, the CCs have struggled to embed these ambitions consistently across their activities. In funding calls, this was often treated as a checkbox rather than a guiding principle and the activities tended to focus primarily on technological adoption and productivity gains.11
The ambition to promote human-centred innovation or cross-sector collaboration seems to suffer in part from vague definitions and limited follow-up mechanisms, pointing to the importance of translating policy objectives into operational guidance, clear evaluation criteria, and staff training.
A key lesson is the importance of sustained investment and co-ordinated governance beyond the pilot phase. After the CCs demonstrated their value, the Italian Government significantly increased funding through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. This injection of resources was accompanied by the establishment of a national steering committee, aimed at improving co-ordination and oversight. The creation of this body also reflects a recognition that systematic learning between CCs was previously lacking. Initially, each centre operated in relative isolation, with limited mechanisms for sharing experiences or building on mutual strengths. The government now seeks to enhance both collaboration and competition by opening CC services to companies nationwide.
Another recurring insight is that one-size-fits-all hardly works in innovation policy. Each CC thrived by tapping into its region’s existing ecosystem and competitive advantages. For instance, BI-REX in Bologna quickly became a key player in the local innovation scene by building on the strengths of the University of Bologna and its industrial base.
However, this place-based approach also reveals a potential downside: by anchoring support in already strong innovation hubs (which increases the chance to increase impact), such policies risk reinforcing regional inequalities. This concern is particularly relevant in the Italian context, where most CCs are concentrated in the more industrialised northern regions. Efforts are underway to address this by expanding service access and opening new branches in the south.
The human factor, especially effective leadership, is a critical success element. Beyond formal structures, the impact of a CC often hinges on individuals who can bridge divides between academia, industry, government, and civil society. Leaders with strong cross-sectoral networks and experience have often played a key role in the success of CCs. It is therefore key to identify who can lead these institutions and to invest in the capacity of the staff.
Accessibility for SMEs has been a key strength of the Competence Centres. The centres were designed to act as one-stop shops for digital transformation support, offering a wide range of services, from training and technology testing to consulting and access to pilot lines. Many of these services are highly subsidised, particularly for small enterprises, and are easy to access without complex application procedures. SMEs can often engage simply by contacting the centre, receiving tailored guidance to explore the most relevant options. This flexible and service-oriented model seems apt to engage small companies that are not at the forefront of Industry 4.0.
Bringing experimentation infrastructure closer to SMEs is essential to avoid uneven access. Without targeted initiatives, access to advanced research infrastructure, pilot lines, and testbeds tends to be limited to larger firms or very innovative companies.
Italy’s Competence Centres offer a useful template for a public-private, university-led network that helps SMEs adopt Industry 4.0 through two complementary routes: easy-access, subsidised services (digital maturity assessments, pilot testing on lines/testbeds, tailored training and consulting) and open calls for co-financed innovation projects. Access is organised via centre catalogues and streamlined procedures, with higher subsidy intensity for smaller firms, features that lower entry barriers while preserving firm commitment and allowing firms to start with diagnostics and demonstrations before moving to fuller projects.
A second relevance lies in the “test before you invest” infrastructure and intermediation role. CCs do more than training: skills support is typically integrated with their assessment and “test before you invest” offer, translating technology choices into practical workforce upskilling to enable implementation (not just awareness-raising). They provide pilot environments that de-risk adoption and act as brokers between SMEs, technology providers and research partners, aligning support with real production needs. Their human-centred orientation (skills, ergonomics, worker well-being) is also pertinent to diffusion quality. Case evidence suggests that these objectives are more effectively embedded through continuous training and advisory support than through one-off project-call criteria alone.
Governance and geography also carry clear lessons. CCs are place-based and university-anchored, leveraging local strengths while connecting into national structures and related networks (e.g. European Digital Innovation Hubs). Subsequent steps to strengthen national co-ordination and cross-centre learning, including the creation of a steering committee, speak to the need for systematic exchange and consistent practice across centres once pilots mature.
Finally, the experience flags risks the UK should anticipate. Uptake is shaped by geographical proximity and existing ecosystem strength, which can limit participation by smaller or more distant firms and risk reinforcing regional imbalances. The Italian response – opening services nationally and expanding provision in less-served areas – highlights the importance of deliberate access strategies alongside strong local anchoring and leadership that can bridge university-industry-public actors.
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← 1. https://iris.univpm.it/bitstream/11566/296020/6/Ietto_Role-External-Actors-SMEs_Post-print_2024.pdf
← 3. https://iris.univpm.it/bitstream/11566/296020/6/Ietto_Role-External-Actors-SMEs_Post-print_2024.pdf
← 5. https://www.innovationpost.it/attualita/i-competence-center-entrano-nella-fase-due-piu-risorse-e-piu-servizi-per-le-imprese/#:~:text=I%20rappresentanti%20dei%20Competence%20Center%20raccontano%20i%20risultati,fase%20di%20avvio%20sul%20fronte%20nazionale%20ed%20europeo
← 6. https://www.mimit.gov.it/index.php/it/incentivi/centri-di-competenza-ad-alta-specializzazione#:~:text=I%20centri%20di%20competenza%20sono%20partenariati%20pubblico-privati%20il,miglioramento%29%20tramite%20tecnologie%20avanzate%20in%20ambito%20Industria%204.0
← 7. Budget figures and funding breakdowns are drawn from the official website of the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), accessible at: https://www.mimit.gov.it/index.php/it/incentivi/centri-di-competenza-ad-alta-specializzazione. While the site provides clear ceilings and allocations per funding line, the total sum indicated (EUR 72.77 million) does not precisely correspond to the individual figures cited. The reason for this discrepancy is not specified in the available public documentation.
← 8. https://www.mimit.gov.it/images/stories/documenti/DM_protocollato_mimit.AOO_PIT.REGISTRO_UFFICIALEInt0070138.10-03-2023.pdf
← 9. https://www.innovationpost.it/attualita/i-competence-center-entrano-nella-fase-due-piu-risorse-e-piu-servizi-per-le-imprese/#:~:text=I%20rappresentanti%20dei%20Competence%20Center%20raccontano%20i%20risultati,fase%20di%20avvio%20sul%20fronte%20nazionale%20ed%20europeo
← 10. https://iris.univpm.it/bitstream/11566/296020/6/Ietto_Role-External-Actors-SMEs_Post-print_2024.pdf
← 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030042
