Agriculture 4.0 is back on track, EUR 2.5 billion in investments planned for 2025
The national market for digital technologies will return to growth in 2025. The main investors will be farms that already use 4.0 systems. The strategic role of training in promoting the spread of new systems
In a global context marked by geopolitical instability, climate crisis, and economic tensions, the Italian agrifood sector is once again investing in digital innovation. After the decline recorded in 2024 (-8%), in 2025 the Italian agriculture 4.0 market will reach a total value of €2.5 billion, an increase of 9% over the previous year, thus returning to 2023 levels. Data extrapolated from research by the Smart AgriFood Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano and the University of Brescia – presented in February during the conference "Smart Agrifood, signs of recovery, between old challenges and new opportunities" – show that software solutions have driven growth. Farm Management Information Systems recorded an increase of 17%, and Decision Support Systems grew by 26%.
Investments in connected machinery (+2%) and telemetry and control (+3%) also returned to positive territory, in line with European market data. As regards the analysis of the use of new technologies in Italian companies, the Observatory highlighted that in 2025, 42% of these companies used at least one smart solution, while the cultivated agricultural area reached 10% of the total cultivated area, a slight increase compared to 2024. The fact that the Agriculture 4.0 market is growing while overall levels of diffusion remain stable indicates, according to the research, that new purchases are coming mainly from companies that are already digitized. The Agriculture 4.0 market continues to show positive signs, with a recovery in investment and an almost zero abandonment rate among companies that have already adopted 4.0 solutions, demonstrating the concrete value generated by digitization. At the same time, commented Andrea Bacchetti, director of the Smart AgriFood Observatory, the computerized agricultural area and the overall level of adoption of digital technologies remain essentially stable: investments are mainly made by companies that have passed the initial experimentation phase and systematically integrate these advanced systems into their production processes.
The survey also shows greater awareness of the integrated use of 4.0 innovations, which are no longer perceived solely as field tools but, above all, as levers to support farm management. An analysis of thirty pilot cases in 20 European countries showed that the use of digital solutions enabled the companies involved to achieve a positive ROI (return on investment), in addition to all the benefits derived from a more efficient use of production inputs (with a consequent reduction in costs), such as improved yields, productivity, and quality of work. The abandonment rate of new technologies by operators is practically zero, as those who adopt them enjoy benefits that exceed expectations and tend to continue investing.
However, several factors still hinder the digitization of the primary sector in Italy. First and foremost is a lack of awareness of the opportunities offered by Industry 4.0, but the lack of public incentives—only 21% of companies invest without subsidies—and certain structural issues, such as poor interoperability between systems and a shortage of specific professionals, also play a role. It is precisely in this context that the increasingly strategic role of training emerges, called upon to promote the spread of technological innovations in the primary sector, thereby improving the performance of the entire sector.
