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Agriculture 4.0, a turnover grow of EUR 2.3 billion for smart companies

by the editorial staff
December 2024 | Back

In just six years, from 2017 to 2023, Agriculture 4.0 has made great strides in Italy. In 2017, digitalized companies had a turnover of EUR 100 million, last year they reached EUR 2.3 billion. This market growth is supported by the constant increase in the number of farms that have innovated within a 4.0 perspective and, in 2024, have reached the threshold of 400 units. The study by the Smart Agrifood observatory of Milan Polytechnic University was presented at the 46th annual EIMA International exhibition of machinery for agriculture and gardening, taking place in the pavilions of the Bologna Trade Fair.

More than 60% of the solutions introduced by farms relate to the remote control and monitoring of crops and land, as well as decision support technologies. Some 75% of the innovations relate to systems for data collection and enhancement, 59% by IoT solutions, and 58% by software platforms. Artificial intelligence and machine learning, on the other hand, are still only slightly used.

A survey was also conducted as an opportunity to illustrate the European QuantiFarm project, involving 100 farmers and 20 different countries, in order to analyze the impacts of 4.0 technologies on revenues, profitability, the environment and the quality of life of farmers. Some experiences have attested positively to the advantages offered by 4.0 management of the agricultural enterprise. Most of the cases examined so far have in fact recorded an increase in revenues and at the same time a reduction in water, energy and fuel consumption. The social impact is also significant, offering a better balance between private and professional life.  

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