Competence Centers: Mimit Study Measures Impact on BI-REX and Its Client Companies
According to a study promoted by Mimit, 51% of BI-REX's client companies report a greater capacity to innovate, and 22% say they would not have started without the Competence Center. Useful evidence for anyone planning a digitalization project.
On 19 October 2026, Automazione Plus published the results of an impact analysis of Italy's Competence Centers, the public-private centers created under the Industry 4.0 policy. The study, carried out between 2025 and 2026, offers a concrete indication of how these centers affect companies' ability to innovate.
Who promoted the study and how it was conducted
The initiative was promoted by Mimit, the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. All 8 Competence Centers took part, coordinated by Smact with support from CNR and the University of Padua. The article behind this news item focuses in particular on BI-REX, the Competence Center based in Bologna.
The numbers for BI-REX client companies
For companies that turned to BI-REX, the published data indicate that:
- 51% report a greater capacity to innovate;
- 48% report strengthened skills;
- 22% say that, without the Competence Center's support, the innovation would not have been started.
This last figure is perhaps the most significant: it suggests that, for more than one company in five, the center did not simply accompany a path already decided, but made it possible to begin.
A change of perspective in the production system
According to the article, the results show a shift in Italy's production landscape, described as a move away from a logic of mere funding toward a different approach; however, the available text breaks off at exactly that point, so the full wording cannot be reported. The value of the public investment is read as the ability to turn resources into accessible technologies, widespread skills and competitiveness for the local area.
What we still don't know
The available information is partial. The full methodology, the sample size, the results of the other seven centers and any explicit link to the Transizione 5.0 incentives are not accessible. Before using the percentages in a business case or an internal presentation, it is wise to check them against the full Mimit report or the complete article.
Why it matters for SMEs and plant managers
For small and medium-sized manufacturers, Competence Centers are a public, practical channel for trying out and adopting Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies, such as MES, IIoT and data analytics, before committing to structural investments. The study also provides evidence of the effect of these centers, useful for anyone who needs to justify a digitalization project to management.
The 48% of companies reporting strengthened skills is a reminder that funding technology is not enough: you also have to know how to use it.
A practical takeaway
Those planning a digitalization project can consider three steps:
- check which Competence Center operates in your region or sector, and what guidance, testing and training services it offers;
- use the center to validate use cases on a small scale, such as line monitoring, data collection or downtime analysis;
- plan training for operators, maintenance staff and IT/OT personnel from the start, because skills weigh as much as financial resources.
The BI-REX data do not replace a specific assessment of each project, but they confirm that support on skills and access to technologies that can be tested may make the difference between an intention and an innovation that actually gets started.