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Over the past decades, the global economic landscape has undergone a radical transformation, gradually shifting from a product-based model (Product Economy) to a process-based one (Process Economy).
This shift has been accelerated by the adoption of digital technologies, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) playing a crucial role in evolving toward a more dynamic and personalized approach. Bridging these two phases, servitization has been a fundamental step, facilitating the transition from a mindset focused on ownership to one centered on usage and the value generated by services.

The Product Economy: the dominance of the tangible

Traditionally, the global economy was dominated by physical goods. Companies focused their efforts on producing high-quality products, emphasizing efficiency and standardization. Value was closely tied to the ownership of tangible assets, and competitiveness depended on price, features, and physical performance.
However, this model had intrinsic limitations: product life cycles became increasingly shorter, while market saturation made sustaining growth more challenging. Additionally, the exclusive focus on products ignored customers’ dynamic needs, who began to prioritize the experience of use over ownership.

Servitization: the bridge to the Process Economy

With growing digitalization, “servitization” emerged—a model where companies began integrating services into their products to offer more comprehensive and personalized experiences. This approach created new value sources through solutions beyond the product itself, such as predictive maintenance, software updates, and access to digital platforms.

A significant example is the automotive industry: from simply selling vehicles, many companies shifted to offering services like shared mobility or subscriptions for using electric vehicles. This model introduced a shift in the perception of value, moving the focus from ownership to the benefits obtained.
Servitization also prepared companies for adopting advanced technologies, creating a digital infrastructure and an innovation-oriented mindset that paved the way for the Process Economy.

The Process Economy: personalization, efficiency, and AI

The Process Economy represents the next evolution, where value is generated not only by the product or service but by the entire process supporting them. The focus shifts to the ability to provide hyper-personalized, real-time experiences through automated, data-driven systems.
Artificial Intelligence is the engine driving this transformation. Its applications optimize complex processes, anticipate customer needs, and create fully integrated ecosystems.

Examples include:

• Smart Manufacturing: AI enables tailored production through additive manufacturing systems (3D printing) and automated production lines that adapt in real time to market demands.
• Personalized Experiences: Advanced algorithms analyze user data to deliver tailored solutions, such as personalized recommendations in retail or dynamic itineraries in public transportation.
• Business Process Optimization: Companies can use AI tools to improve internal efficiency, reducing waste and downtime through demand forecasting or predictive maintenance.
• Interconnected Ecosystems: AI enables the creation of integrated platforms where products, services, and data combine to deliver continuous and scalable value.

Impact on society and the economy

The transition to the Process Economy not only changes business models but also has profound implications for society. It fosters a shift toward a more sustainable system where efficiency and waste reduction are central. Additionally, access to personalized, data-driven solutions enhances quality of life by making services more inclusive and accessible.
However, this transition also poses significant challenges, such as the need to develop digital skills, address ethical issues related to data usage, and ensure an equitable distribution of economic benefits.

From the Product Economy to the Process Economy, the evolutionary path has been driven by companies’ ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Servitization marked a pivotal moment, paving the way for more flexible, customer-oriented business models. Today, thanks to Artificial Intelligence, it is possible to achieve unprecedented levels of personalization, efficiency, and integration, redefining the very concept of value.

The economy of the future will no longer be defined by the products we own but by the processes that allow us to live meaningful, efficient, and sustainable experiences.

Autonomous Innovation: How e-commerce is redefining business innovation

In the era of AI, e-commerce is revolutionizing the way companies innovate and adapt to market demands. Through the adoption of autonomous innovation engines, businesses can transform their processes, drastically accelerating the development and launch of new products while responding to consumer needs in real time.

Autonomous innovation engines exemplify this transformation. Powered by advanced AI and synthetic simulations, these systems are designed to operate in an "always-on" mode—constantly collecting data, generating ideas, testing concepts, and launching new products to market at record speeds.
The result? An innovation cycle that can shrink from months to mere days.

How Autonomous Innovation engines work

The operational process consists of five main stages:

1. Learn: Analyze data from sources like social media, sales, and market research to identify emerging opportunities.
2. Generate: Create innovative ideas using customized AI models.
3. Simulate: Conduct synthetic tests to evaluate desirability, feasibility, and economic sustainability of concepts.
4. Build: Rapid prototyping and product development with advanced generative design tools.
5. Launch: Automate launch, distribution, and marketing processes, with controlled testing environments before full-scale rollout.

NotCo: a success story

The food company NotCo leveraged an AI engine called Giuseppe to create revolutionary products like plant-based milk, combining ingredients in novel and sustainable ways, such as pineapple and cabbage. Thanks to advanced simulations and automated testing, NotCo developed unimaginable formulations, gaining a significant competitive advantage and drastically reducing time-to-market.

Benefits for the e-commerce sector

These engines enable retailers to:

• Reduce operational costs and accelerate time-to-market.
• Quickly identify and respond to market trends.
• Create personalized products for consumers, enhancing the shopping experience.

For instance, in the fashion industry, autonomous innovation engines can design tailored collections for different consumer segments while reducing waste.

A new era of innovation

The adoption of autonomous innovation engines marks a critical step for companies seeking to thrive in the age of Artificial Intelligence. It’s not just about speeding up existing processes but completely rethinking operational models, enabling previously impossible innovations, and unlocking new growth opportunities.