Salesforce will invest $1 billion in Italy over the next five years, open a new office in Milan, and launch upskilling programs to speed agentic AI adoption across the country. The announcement, made by Chair and CEO Marc Benioff ahead of the Third Annual Rome Conference on AI, Ethics, and Governance, positions Italy as a growing center for responsible AI innovation and creates hundreds of new technical roles.
Milan office anchors AI workforce expansion
The investment includes a new office at Palazzo Missori in Milan's Central Business District, designed as a collaborative space for customers, partners, and employees. Alongside the physical expansion, Salesforce will add positions in data science, agentic AI, and deployment engineering. These roles will support Italian organizations and public administrations adopting AI, building on a local team that has created more than 600 direct jobs since 2003.
Enterprise Architecture Academy targets rapid AI upskilling
A key part of the workforce commitment is the Enterprise Architecture Academy, which launches with more than 70 participants from partners, customers, and Salesforce's own solution engineering team. "At Salesforce, we are committed to building a future-ready Italy that leads in the agentic AI era. The Enterprise Architecture Academy puts this ambition into action, equipping partners, customers and Salesforce engineers with the skills to thrive," said Vanessa Fortarezza, SVP and Country General Manager, Salesforce Italy.
Agentforce delivers measurable results across industries
Agentforce, Salesforce's agentic CRM platform, already underpins operations at several major Italian organizations. Telepass automated 84% of customer service responses with Agentforce, freeing teams for higher-value interactions. This type of process automation is a core focus of AI Agent & Automation Training for technical teams. Ferrari uses the platform to build a unified, real-time view of its customers, enabling faster decisions and deeper relationships. Trenitalia, Italy's lead rail operator, is deploying Agentforce to support sales and customer service teams that handle more than 500 million passengers annually.
"Trenitalia knows that millions of journeys mean millions of moments where the experience matters. By handling complexity behind the scenes, Agentforce allows our teams to be more present for customers. This is what digital transformation should look like: technology that elevates our people, empowering them to do what they do best," said Francesco Cacciapuoti, Chief Sales Officer, Trenitalia.
In the public sector, the National Institute for Social Security (INPS) uses Salesforce to deliver more efficient citizen services. Energy giant Enel and financial services leader UniCredit also rely on the platform. Salesforce's ability to accelerate sales and service workflows connects directly to skills covered in AI for Sales Courses & Certifications.
Philanthropy and career reskilling programs expand impact
Beyond corporate growth, Salesforce continues its 1-1-1 philanthropic model, contributing over $926,000 and 73,500 volunteer hours to 318 nonprofits and higher education institutions in Italy. A partnership with the ELIS consortium focuses on creating personalized learning pathways for workers over 55, promoting career longevity through intergenerational collaboration.
As an official sponsor of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Salesforce launched "Now to Next" with Randstad Italia and Samsung. The program helps elite athletes transition their skills to the modern workforce. "Athletes spend years mastering skills and capabilities that the modern workforce needs. Through our partnership with Salesforce, we built something that helps athletes see themselves not as stepping away from sport, but into their next chapter," said Valentina Marchei, Italian figure skating champion and Ambassador Programme Lead for Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026.
Salesforce is also a signatory of the Vatican-led Rome Call for AI Ethics, reinforcing its emphasis on responsible AI development.
Why this matters for IT, development, and sales professionals
The $1 billion investment signals a concentrated push for AI skills in Italy, with new technical roles and formal training programs that mirror global hiring trends. For IT and development teams, the rise of agentic platforms like Agentforce means demand will grow for engineers who can deploy and manage autonomous AI workflows. For sales professionals, the same tools are redefining customer engagement-automating routine responses while equipping teams with real-time insights to close faster and serve more intelligently. Upskilling in these areas, whether through enterprise academies or independent courses, will separate practitioners who can design and run AI-powered operations from those who only use them.
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