Gitex, the global network of events dedicated to technology and artificial intelligence, has announced its expansion into the Mediterranean region with the launch of Gitex AI Mediterranean\/Italy.<\/p>\n\n
Gitex AI Mediterranean\/Italy has been developed thanks to a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Lazio Region and Lazio Innova, and will take place during the \u2018Birth of Rome\u2019 celebrations on 21 and 22 April 2027 at the Roma Convention Center La Nuvola. The first Italian edition of this event is organised by inD, the new joint venture formed by Dubai World Trade Centre and Informa, the global organiser of Gitex. <\/p>\n\n
The announcement comes at a time of strong momentum, with the Mediterranean having established itself as one of the world\u2019s most significant regions for artificial intelligence; at its heart, Italy is the fourth-largest economy in Europe, with a technology market projected to exceed $92 billion by 2026 (source: Mordor Intelligence). The adoption of AI in the country has doubled in just one year, reaching the highest levels in the European Union, whilst venture capital inflows have recorded some of the highest volumes of the last decade. <\/p>\n\n
Over the past 46 years, Gitex has established itself as the leading global platform connecting public and private institutions and technology ecosystems across 195 countries. The Mediterranean represents its next strategic frontier. <\/p>\n\n
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Federico Eichberg, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, said in a statement: \u201cItalian industry, from aerospace to the life sciences, is undergoing its greatest transformation. Technology and artificial intelligence are the driving forces behind this industrial renaissance. Gitex AI Mediterranean\/Italy comes at just the right time to amplify Italy\u2019s global ambitions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe first edition of Gitex in Italy represents an extraordinary opportunity for our country to strengthen its international standing as a tech nation,\u201d says Mauro Battocchi, Director-General for Growth and Export Promotion at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – With Gitex AI Mediterranean\/Italy, Italy will establish itself as a national, European and global hub for technological innovation in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region, fostering international connections, strategic investments and new growth opportunities for start-ups, businesses and institutions. This is fully in line with the internationalisation strategies promoted by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani. <\/p>\n\n
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of Gitex (pictured here signing the partnership agreement with Francesco Marcolini, President of Lazio Innova), says: \u201cItaly\u2019s industrial strength, scientific excellence and creative entrepreneurship make it a natural asset within Gitex\u2019s global network. With Gitex AI Mediterranean\/Italy, we are creating a strategic hub that harnesses this strength, connecting European technological ambitions with the digital rise of the Mediterranean and opening up new opportunities for global access to markets and investment in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Italy, which has set global standards in future mobility, design, fashion, life sciences, food and agritech, is now redefining its competitive edge in artificial intelligence. The adoption of AI by Italian businesses has doubled, rising from 8.2% in 2024 to 16.4% in 2025, and recording one of the fastest growth rates in the European Union. This acceleration is also supported by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which allocates around \u20ac50 billion to artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity and smart industry. <\/p>\n\n
Gitex AI Mediterranean\/Italy will support these ambitions and serve as a global gateway for Italy, forging links between international businesses and commercial and investment opportunities in the Mediterranean, whilst offering regional innovators a platform for global growth.<\/p>\n\n
The inaugural edition will bring together influential technology leaders, businesses, scale-ups, investors and institutional representatives from over 120 countries, and will feature more than 500 exhibitors showcasing innovations in the fields of aerospace, agritech, cybersecurity and dual-use technologies, data centres, energy and clean tech, industrial automation, smart cities, mobility, quantum computing and smart manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n
Rome has the highest concentration of public research in Italy and the greatest access to European funding for research and development. The city is home to Leonardo, one of Europe\u2019s leading companies in the defence, aerospace and cybersecurity sectors, and Eni, Europe\u2019s second-largest energy company, which is now at the forefront of developing innovations in supercomputing and quantum computing for the energy transition. <\/p>\n\n
Last year, Eni entered into a partnership with Khazna Data Centers, a United Arab Emirates-based company specialising in hyperscale infrastructure, to develop a 500 MW AI data centre campus in Italy, powered by low-carbon energy and designed to become a key infrastructure hub for artificial intelligence in the heart of Europe.<\/p>\n\n
In Rome, even the most historic institutions are helping to shape the era of artificial intelligence. Pope Leo XIV\u2019s encyclical *Magnifica Humanitas*, published in May 2026 as the first papal teaching in history dedicated to AI, brought together the world\u2019s leading figures in the sector at the Vatican, placing the city at the heart of the ethical debate surrounding the most transformative technology of our time. <\/p>\n\n