Enrico Bagnasco urges Italy to leverage external AI to stay competitive and deepen Africa partnership

At an international conference on geopolitics, technology and security in Rome, Enrico Bagnasco – president of Confindustria Assafrica e Mediterraneo and ad of Sparkle – said artificial intelligence depends on three major elements: energy, water and global connectivity. He argued that a purely national or regional outlook is insufficient and that a global approach is essential for large‑scale projects, which can entail high costs.

Bagnasco called on Italian firms to use AI solutions produced abroad while they build domestic infrastructure, warning that failing to do so would create an “unbridgeable” lag behind the Big Tech giants. He highlighted that Italian export to Africa now totals about €15 billion, up 4 % year‑on‑year, and noted a shift in relationships from simple supply of goods to genuine partnerships that include on‑site know‑how transfer.

He also referenced the impact of the Mattei Plan on Morocco’s industrial growth, describing it as a model of how a structured, long‑term framework can foster sustained cooperation between Italy and African countries.