The greatest risk Italy faces is not falling behind in the race. It is spending the next decade defending the industry that was, instead of building the one that will be. In this op-ed for Quotidiano Nazionale, Massimo Portincaso argues that Italy's manufacturing culture can become the foundation of the neo-industrial company, and that the window to act will not stay open for long.

In the new neo-industrial business model, artificial intelligence transcends the traditional corporate hierarchy, replacing the role of the middle manager with digital models updated in real time.

Italy still possesses some of the world’s strongest technical expertise in the sectors that will prove decisive: advanced manufacturing, industrial biotechnology, materials, design, robotics, and automation. But this historical advantage does not automatically carry over into the new industrial era: it only does so if it is transformed into the ability to learn and produce new technologies.