MECSPE returns to Bologna next March 5–7 with a focus on new technologies to lead the industry in the digital transition, enhanced by the event “From AI to the factory: simplifying processes with real-world examples”
New enabling technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Twin, are playing an increasingly important role in manufacturing, fostering its evolution toward a more digital and innovative model. For this reason, MECSPE, the leading exhibition for the manufacturing sector, organized by Senaf, returns to BolognaFiere from March 5–7, 2025, with a program that devotes ample space to innovation and technological evolution to foster sector development and efficiency. Indeed, new technologies not only make processes more efficient and competitive, but also act as catalysts for digitization, introducing advanced tools that transform the way companies operate.
According to the MECSPE Observatory on the Italian Manufacturing Industry, covering Q2 2024, entrepreneurs’ confidence in AI is growing: 63% of respondents believe that AI will have a fairly positive or positive impact in the near future, up from 57% in the same period in 2023. Nearly 20% of entrepreneurs in the industry say they have already introduced AI-based tools, while another 52% are considering this option, demonstrating how many increasingly see this technology as a tool to boost efficiency in their operations.
Market analysis and process automation are currently the primary application areas, while the following are the ones most frequently mentioned as potential future technology implementation areas: communication activities (visuals, content, etc.), market analysis—especially relevant even for those who did not have it yet—assistance (virtual assistants, chatbots) and quality control. However, according to the Observatory, about 20% of business owners are still claiming they are unsure about the subject of AI, confirming the need to delve deeper into this complex issue and fully understand its potential impact.
To give greater prominence to these issues and encourage discussion on the topic, MECSPE will host a conference organized by automazionenews.it titled: “From AI to the factory: simplifying processes with real examples. From simulation to reality: how Digital Twin and AI transform manufacturing“. The event will place great emphasis on the possible benefits derived from implementing these technologies in the manufacturing sector, highlighting how they enable companies to operate more efficiently, competitively and sustainably. The innovation brought by these technologies promotes the transformation of manufacturing by making it increasingly efficient and automated at a time when the sector faces major competitiveness and sustainability challenges. AI and Digital Twin, in fact, are technologies that create a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement, fostering production that is more agile, integrated and ready to meet the challenges of a constantly changing market.
Experts on new technologies such as Francesco Cadini, Ph.D., Politecnico di Milano, an expert in advanced algorithms and machine learning for mechanical and aerospace design, Giacinto Fiore, founder of “AI Explained Simply”—the largest Italian community on Artificial Intelligence and Massimiliano Turazzini, a trainer for CEOs on generative AI and author of the book “Assumere un’intelligenza artificiale in azienda”, will speak at the conference.
Experts will highlight the most obvious benefits of artificial intelligence applied to all stages of the production process, from initial design to autonomous decision-making based on machine learning algorithms. The potential of advanced data-driven modeling to optimize production and improve predictive maintenance, ensuring timely interventions, will be illustrated. A special focus will be on the use of Digital Twin, a technology that enables extremely true-to-life simulations to predict and solve critical operational issues. Data management will also be addressed as an essential element in ensuring that models and simulations are accurate and representative of real industrial dynamics. Finally, real cases will be presented demonstrating the tangible impact of these technologies in the industrial sector.
The event “From AI to the factory: simplifying processes with real examples” organized by automazionenews.it will be held in the setting of MECSPE 2025, in Bologna, on March 5 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the MECSPE Arena (Centro Servizi).
«MECSPE represents an unmissable event for manufacturing, a strategic meeting point for experts, companies and stakeholders to discuss digitalization and technological innovation», says Maruska Sabato, MECSPE project manager. «At a crucial time for the industry, MECSPE is leading the way in supporting companies to innovate and adopt advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and the digital twin, which are redefining the industry’s operating paradigms. Our goal is to create a space for discussion and training, where companies can discover innovative tools, share experiences, and acquire skills essential to successfully address the transition to an increasingly technological, integrated and resilient industry».
Facts and figures of MECSPE BOLOGNA 2024
66,906 trade professional visitors, 92,000 square meters of exhibition space, 2,000 companies, 2,000 square meters of MECSPE LAB – Spazio Innovazione along with 18 special initiatives and 72 conferences.
