Modernize. Secure. Innovate. Lead with the power of Agentic-AI
The IDC CIO Summit Italy 2026 is the leading event for senior technology and business executives shaping enterprise strategy and digital leadership in one of Europe’s most ambitious and transformation-driven economies. Designed for CIOs, CTOs, and transformation leaders, this one-day summit delivers actionable insights on Italy’s top priorities for 2026: modernization, cybersecurity, sustainability, AI and Agentic AI adoption, and aligning IT investments with measurable business value in an increasingly regulated environment.
Agenda
IDC analysts and industry experts will share practical guidance on building resilient, secure, and sustainable IT architectures, reducing technical debt, and deploying AI, including Agentic AI, responsibly and at scale. Through keynote sessions, panels, and collaborative exchanges, the Summit equips Italy’s CIOs with the frameworks, research, and leadership insights to drive trusted innovation, strengthen resilience, and advance Italy’s digital transformation through 2026 and beyond.
2026 Prediction
By 2027, 55% of G1000 CIOs will be tasked to create enterprise AI value playbooks, featuring expanded ROI models to define, measure, and showcase AI impact across efficiency, growth, and innovation.
Main Themes
The CIO as Business Strategist
CIOs have evolved from operational leaders to enterprise strategists. As digital transformation reshapes every business model, technology leadership now defines competitiveness. Today’s CIO must align IT priorities with business outcomes, influence the boardroom agenda, and drive innovation that delivers measurable value.
Modernization, Legacy and Technical Debt
Managing technical debt is no longer just a maintenance concern, it’s a strategic priority. Modernizing legacy systems, simplifying architectures, and optimizing cost structures allow organizations to shift resources from upkeep to innovation. Streamlined technology portfolios create the agility needed to compete in a digital economy.
The Agentic AI Revolution
Agentic AI marks a shift from automation to autonomy. How CIOs can govern, scale, and integrate autonomous AI systems responsibly (balancing opportunity with oversight to create intelligent, self-directed enterprises.
Resilience by Design
Resilience is emerging as the defining capability of modern enterprises. Adaptive architectures, secure infrastructure, and integrated continuity planning enable organizations to withstand disruption (whether from economic uncertainty, regulatory shifts, or cyber threats) while sustaining growth and trust.
Cybersecurity, Trust, and Digital Sovereignty
As digital ecosystems expand, trust becomes a critical currency. CIOs must address cybersecurity, data sovereignty, and compliance in tandem, ensuring that cloud strategies and cross-border operations align with evolving regulations. Building digital trust creates both protection and competitive advantage.
Building the Intelligent Enterprise
Data is the foundation of every intelligent organization. Reliable, governed, and accessible data architectures enable AI, automation, and analytics to operate at scale. Enterprises that invest in strong data foundations are better positioned to extract insight, anticipate change, and deliver smarter, faster business outcomes.
2026 Prediction
By 2027, G1000 organizations will face an up to 30% rise in underestimated AI infrastructure costs, driving CIOs to expand the scope of FinOps teams to optimize expenses and enhance business value.
How to Join
The event, which will take place on May 19, 2026 starting at 9:00 am is free of charge (upon filling the registration form), for professionals in the following sectors: Manufacturing, Automotive, Fashion, Finance, Banking and Insurance, Retail, Energy and Utilities, Media, Government, Health, Education, Transports, Logistics, Telecommunications, Personal and Professional Services.
Access to the event is not allowed for non-sponsoring ICT companies (vendor, distributors, reseller, VAR, system integrator), ICT consultancy and services companies, private individuals and freelancers.
The official language of the event is Italian.
IDC Analysts
Roberta Bigliani
Group Vice President, Global Lead for Energy & Retail Insights and Industry Hub
IDC
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Roberta Bigliani
Roberta Bigliani is a Group Vice President at IDC, and Global Lead for Energy Insights, Retail Insights, and the IDC Industry Hub.
She leads IDC’s global research, data, and custom delivery agendas for energy, utilities, and retail, and oversees the Industry Hub, which drives cross-industry initiatives and collaboration.
A recognized expert in industry and business transformation, with longstanding experience in energy and utilities, Roberta’s work centers on how AI and digital technologies are reshaping the industry – enabling new business and operating models, enhancing operations and customer experiences, and effectively integrating IT and operational technology.
Her work combines deep sector expertise with a cross-industry lens, helping organizations understand how disruption and innovation propagate across sectors and markets.
Roberta regularly advises senior managers and executives at both technology suppliers and end-user organizations, speaks at international conferences, and moderates executive-level discussions.
She is based in Milan, Italy.
Massimiliano Claps
Research Director
IDC
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Massimiliano Claps
Massimiliano (Max) Claps is the research director for the Worldwide National Government Platforms and Technologies research in IDC’s Government Insights practice. In this role, Max provides research and advisory services to technology suppliers and national civilian government senior leaders in the US and globally. Specific areas of research include improving government digital experiences, data and data sharing, AI and automation, cloud-enabled system modernization, the future of government work, and data protection and digital sovereignty to drive social, economic, and environmental outcomes for agencies and the public.
BACKGROUND
Max Claps has over 20 years of public sector experience. After starting his career as a management consultant, he joined IDC in 2002 as the lead analyst for the government, healthcare, and education industries in Europe. He has since held various analyst and management roles at IDC working as an advisor to technology suppliers, public sector senior leaders and policymakers throughout North America, Europe, the Gulf Region, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. He focused on helping public sector organizations realize the benefits of artificial intelligence, edge computing, cloud computing, shared services, digital services, smart cities, and sustainable mobility and transportation. Max also worked at Gartner, where he was research director and agenda manager for the global government research analyst team. IMax spent two years at SAP, where he was the global solution lead for the SAP Future Cities, Citizen Experience and Postal Services programs.
EDUCATION/INDUSTRY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Claps holds a degree in international business from Bocconi University in Italy.
Throughout his career at IDC, Max Claps has been a co-author of several studies published on behalf of the European Commission on topics like eGovernment, location data and intelligence, cloud computing, and data spaces.
Max Claps has actively contributed to ITU working groups, such as the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) global UN initiative coordinated by ITU, UNECE and UN-Habitat, and the ITU focus group on Metaverse.
Knowledge Hub
The AI homework nobody asked for (but everyone’s getting anyway)
Artificial Intelligence has officially reached the “you can do anything with it” stage of technological hype. Judging just by AI vendor narratives, and by some of the media, it’s the golden key to productivity, efficiency, optimization and innovation.
The Agentic Business Future: Driving Resilience, Sovereignty, and Innovation in EMEA
As organizations navigate an era defined by economic uncertainty, geopolitical shifts, and relentless technological change, one truth stands out: the future belongs to those who can harness AI, automation, and sovereignty to build resilience, drive innovation, and unlock growth.
EMEA’s Tech Evolution – 7 Key Themes Transforming Business in 2025
The technology landscape across Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) is changing rapidly in 2025, with innovations actively reshaping industries and creating new business opportunities.
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