Job Digital Lab: a regional event in Foggia
In Italy, the adoption of artificial intelligence by businesses has doubled in just one year: from 8.2% to 16.4% of companies with at least ten employees (Istat, Businesses and ICT 2025). But the average figure tells only part of the story. Southern Italy remains the most lagging region, with an adoption rate stuck at 12.2% compared to 19.3% in the North-West (Institute for Competitiveness 2026). And among small and medium-sized enterprises – those with fewer than 250 employees – just 15.7% use at least one AI technology: a gap with large enterprises that, rather than narrowing, is widening. The primary obstacle is not technological: almost 60% of firms that considered introducing AI but did not go ahead cite a lack of skills as the main hurdle. Even before it is a problem of tools, it is a matter of culture, knowledge and support.
The province of Foggia, which in 2025 recorded a net increase of 513 new businesses and significant growth in limited companies (+4.43%), is undergoing a transformation of its business fabric (Movimprese/Foggia Chamber of Commerce). These are signs of vitality, but they need the digital transition to be a concrete ally rather than a further source of confusion.
It is in this context that Job Digital Lab, the free digital training programme run by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale in partnership with ING Italia, arrives in Foggia with a stop on its regional tour dedicated to entrepreneurs and professionals. The event is scheduled for Tuesday 21 April, from 3 pm to 7 pm, at the Foggia Chamber of Commerce (Via Michele Protano, 7), in collaboration with the Unified Committee of Professions (CUP), the Foggia Provincial Council of Labour Consultants, the Italian Association of Young Lawyers (AIGA), Foggia branch, and the Foggia Order of Engineers.
From theory to practice
At the heart of the event is the training session "From theory to practice. Integrating artificial intelligence into work processes", led by Antonio Mariggiò, a consultant, author and trainer specialising in digital marketing and artificial intelligence. The programme is designed to offer entrepreneurs and freelancers a practical and accessible understanding of AI, free from technical jargon and grounded in the day-to-day reality of those who work in the field.
There are three thematic sections:
- the business areas where AI can deliver immediate value, from administration to marketing: from document management to customer relations;
- the ‘before and after’ of introducing AI into daily activities, with a focus on methodology, goal-setting and the quality of requests;
- and finally, tools, practical examples and initial applications already available for those running a business or a professional practice.
Voices from the local area
Following the training session, there will be a dedicated slot for testimonials from entrepreneurs and professionals in the city of Foggia: concrete experiences from those navigating digital change in their work, sharing real-life cases and best practices from the local area.
The event counts towards the compulsory continuing professional development requirements for Labour Consultants (4 CPD credits).
The event is free and open to SMEs, freelancers and VAT-registered individuals.
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Job Digital Lab: six years, over 38,000 people trained
The Foggia event forms part of the regional tour of the sixth edition of Job Digital Lab, the programme launched in 2020 by Fondazione Mondo Digitale and ING Italia, which has trained over 38,000 people across more than 200 sessions. 90% of participants report having improved their digital skills; the same percentage say they have gained greater confidence in the job market.
