Smart decisions: artificial intelligence and traditional businesses at the heart of the RAISE event in Genoa
On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 5:30 PM, the event titled “Smart Decisions: Artificial Intelligence at the Service of Traditional Enterprises” was held at Talent Garden Genova. This was the second in-person event of the P2 | BASIC AI & ROBOTICS APPLICATIONS4SMES project, an integral part of the RAISE Training Program, coordinated by Spoke 5.
The event offered insights and tools to understand how artificial intelligence and machine learning can support even the most traditional companies in their path toward modernization. Participants had the opportunity to engage with experts from the tech sector and explore concrete methods of integrating AI into business decision-making processes, with a particular focus on operational efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness.
The session opened with a presentation by Francesco Cricchio, founder and CEO of Brain Srl, a startup active since 2016, specialized in big data analysis and the application of AI in the financial sector. Cricchio illustrated how, through advanced algorithms, large volumes of data can be transformed into strategic metrics for the fintech sector. The datasets developed by Brain, offered via subscription to investment funds, enable informational advantages over competitors and support more informed investment decisions.
His presentation included practical examples such as the application of generative and analytical AI to financial texts, analysis of commodity flows (such as oil), assessment of loan default risks, and the development of algorithmic trading strategies on gas and thematic securities.
Next, Claudia Peschiera, Senior Software Engineer at FlairBit, delivered a talk focused on the potential of AI applied to IoT systems, giving rise to the concept of AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things). She highlighted how this combination can be implemented in key sectors such as advanced industry, healthcare, agriculture, and smart homes, enabling increasingly sophisticated levels of automation, precision, and interconnectivity. In particular, she emphasized the significant growth rate of AI adoption in companies—471% since 2018—which confirms the ongoing expansion of the market and its growing awareness of the strategic value of intelligent technologies.
“This RAISE initiative is truly interesting, and I hope it was constructive for those who participated. It certainly was for me, because alongside Francesco Cricchio, the speaker before me, I had the pleasure of engaging with people who work in my field. I’m very happy I had the opportunity to partecipate” commented Claudia Peschiera at the end of her presentation.
The event concluded with a convivial moment: an informal aperitif that encouraged exchange between speakers and participants, offering a valuable opportunity to delve deeper into the topics discussed, share experiences, and forge new professional connections. The active participation of the audience confirmed the growing interest in artificial intelligence as a transversal driver of development, capable of blending innovation and tradition in the Italian entrepreneurial landscape.
