Physical AI: Siemens, Ferrari and Pirelli explain the integration of the physical and digital worlds

Artificial intelligence is becoming an ever more tangible reality, emerging as a key driver of business growth. Indeed, the third edition of Tech Talks took place today – the annual event where Siemens brings together businesses and partners to discuss the main challenges and opportunities of digital and sustainable transformation. Entitled “Where Real meets Digital”, the 2026 edition explored the contribution of Physical AI and the integration of the physical and digital worlds as enabling factors for innovation, competitiveness and sustainable business growth.

A true evolution that has seen Siemens, over its 170-year history, become one of Europe’s leading tech companies, capable of integrating hardware, software, data and computing power into a single operating model. This approach is transforming the entire industrial value chain and draws on Physical AI – artificial intelligence that enters the physical world to control the operation of factories, electricity grids and buildings. From the use of digital twins to virtually simulate, validate and optimise machinery and infrastructure as early as the design stage, right through to the adoption of increasingly autonomous and adaptive production systems. “Just as electricity redefined the foundations of industrial society, Physical AI is now emerging as a new enabling technology set to profoundly transform the way we design, manufacture and manage complex systems,” said Floriano Masoero, CEO of Siemens Italia “This is no longer a future prospect: the technologies are already mature and are generating tangible value. The real challenge today lies not in experimentation, but in the ability to move beyond the logic of isolated pilot projects to build continuous and scalable digital pathways, integrating technology, data and the entire ecosystem in a structured way. “The companies that are able to seize this opportunity will be the ones that help shape the future of industry.”

As evidence of how these transformations are already being applied in real-world contexts, the day’s guests included Gianmaria Fulgenzi, Chief Product Development Officer at Ferrari, and Daniele Petecchi, Global Head of Data, AI and R&D at Pirelli. They discussed the role of technology and advanced simulation in their respective innovation journeys, highlighting the contribution of Siemens solutions in accelerating digital transformation.

“The real challenge in developing a Ferrari lies not only in achieving outstanding performance, but also in ensuring that every car is unique: every customer wants not just any Ferrari, but their own Ferrari,” said Gianmaria Fulgenzi - “To manage this complexity on an industrial scale, we now need a data-driven approach that connects people, processes and technologies throughout the car’s entire lifecycle. Innovation and competitiveness arise from the convergence of the physical and digital worlds, within an ecosystem that encompasses design, simulation and production. This integrated and unique approach is fundamental to accelerating change.”

“Artificial intelligence is now one of the key drivers of business transformation: it makes processes more efficient, accelerates innovation and improves the quality of our products,” commented Daniele Petecchi– “Thanks to Cyber Tyre, tyres themselves become a source of valuable data: supporting vehicle dynamics and driver services, but also the development and evolution of the products themselves. Furthermore, at Pirelli we have been working for some time on digital twins for tyres and factories. The virtualisation of development, with the fundamental contribution of AI, enables us to design new products whilst reducing costs and lead times, and to anticipate and manage the evolution of industrial processes with greater precision. Our aim is to build a factory that is increasingly supported by artificial intelligence at the service of people. Because technology does not replace people: it enhances their capabilities, amplifies their creativity and frees up valuable energy to imagine the innovation of the future.”