Turin, 6 June 2024
The first Customer Innovation Center created by TIM Enterprise together with Google Cloud will be home to an intelligent laboratory dedicated to developing and experimenting with the Cloud and Artificial Intelligence to demonstrate the technologies’ potential when applied to different segments such as smart cities, tourism, manufacturing, retail and finance.
Located in Turin, the laboratory’s goal is to drive innovation and speed up the transformation of the public administration and companies.
The new structure, inaugurated today at the OGR Tech – OGR Turin innovation hub, was created with the goal of contributing to the sustainable growth of Italy through new digital innovation scenarios.
A true showroom that can be adapted to the needs of visitors, TIM Enterprise and Google Cloud intend to use the space to translate research into real use cases applicable to the market. There will be a focus on disruptive technologies such as Generative and Predictive Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Machine Learning and the Internet of Things, offering smart solutions capable of developing the competitiveness and business of companies and public bodies against a constantly evolving backdrop.
Recent research carried out by the TIM Study Centre in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center shows that the Artificial Intelligence market is developing strongly in Italy, as elsewhere, with an estimated value of 1.9 billion euros in 2023, growing by 37% per year to around 6.6 billion euros in 2027. This will be supported mainly by investments in the finance, ICT, TLC, manufacturing and retail sectors, with further growth potential in the healthcare, public administration and agriculture segments.
From 2022 to 2026, the cumulative contribution of AI to Italy's GDP could reach up to 195 billion euros, corresponding to an average annual value of almost 40 billion euros, or about 2% of GDP. The market is beginning to show increasing demand for automation and Artificial Intelligence systems, and growth in that demand is estimated to increase by 52%, with both predictive analytics and production optimisation solutions accounting for a significant share: 60% of large companies across various sectors already use Artificial Intelligence (source: Politecnico di Milano).
"We want to simplify the technology choices of companies and public bodies that are now operating in an increasingly fast-paced market where the Cloud and Artificial Intelligence are among the main accelerators of digital transformation. We are leading players in these sectors – so much so that in 2023 we recorded cloud revenues of 1 billion euros, with a strong growth trend that continued in the first quarter of this year. As TIM Enterprise, we provide resources and expertise with the aim of growing the entire innovation chain, including through centres of excellence such as the one inaugurated today in Turin. The new Customer Innovation Center strengthens our relationship with companies, the public administration and our partners, such as Google Cloud, making us increasingly a standard bearer for innovation,” said Elio Schiavo, TIM's Chief Enterprise and Innovative Solutions Officer.
"With the growing importance of AI and the cloud for Italian organizations, the Customer Innovation Center in Turin stands out as a key resource for digital transformation and innovation. This centre of excellence will act as a beacon, providing Italian companies and public organizations with the resources and expertise they need to fully exploit the transformative potential of these technologies. Through collaboration and hands-on learning, the centre will equip companies and institutions with the tools to develop innovative solutions that address their specific challenges and place them at the heart of the digital transformation," commented Paolo Spreafico, Director, Customer Engineering, Italy, Google Cloud.
Specifically, the Customer Innovation Center aims to place technologies at the service of sustainable development, thanks to the Cloud and analysis of large volumes of data through Artificial Intelligence. This supports industrial supply chain policies, improves accessibility to Italy and its resources and, above all, boosts the quality of people's lives.
Demo areas are available in the Center to demonstrate the potential of the applications: these range from TIM Urban Genius, a platform for managing smart cities, and virtual and augmented reality solutions for the immersive enjoyment of content drawn from artistic and cultural attractions to services dedicated to enhancing entertainment, sustainable data centres and the various areas of use for generative and predictive AI.
The Customer Innovation Center is a further milestone in placing the city of Turin at the forefront of the ICT sector. It joins the existing centre, where TIM Enterprise and Google Cloud continue to operate at the Opening Future Hub in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo.
The Piedmontese capital is already home to one of the two Google Cloud regions, inaugurated in March last year. The Turin Region is housed in one of TIM Enterprise's 16 Data Centers, developed according to the highest technological and security standards and powered by 100% renewable energy sources.
The inauguration event was attended by the Councillor for Digital Transition and Innovation of the City of Turin, Elio Schiavo, TIM’s Chief Enterprise & Innovative Solutions Officer, Paolo Spreafico, Director, Customer Engineering, Italy, at Google Cloud, Maria Enrica Danese, TIM’s Director of Corporate Communications and Sustainability, and James Dean, Global AI Specialist at Google Cloud. Other participants included Alberto Pastore, Pro Rector and Director of the Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Michele Costabile, Professor of Marketing, Luiss University of Rome, Paola Pisano, Professor of Innovation Management, University of Turin, Andrea Cosentini, Head of Data Science & AI, Intesa Sanpaolo, Benedetto Di Salvo, CEO Italtel, Fabio Iaione, Country Manager, Italy, Qualcomm, Emanuele Torlonia, Managing Director IAG & Managing Partner, Eden Ventures, Mattia Carretti, Co-founder, fuse*.
