Digital Euro Push: The EU Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee backed a digital euro plan, aiming to cut reliance on US card giants; it would be issued by the ECB, used via a dedicated wallet, and designed to complement cash and banking—Italian MEP Pasquale Tridico called the vote “historic” for citizens and small businesses. SME Payments & Costs: The proposal also targets lower merchant fees than today’s card charges, though compensation for participating institutions is still being negotiated. Italian Startup Funding: P101 (Italian VC) integrated PranaVentures to build a stronger seed platform with €600M+ raised and 80+ active portfolio companies; it’s now fundraising for “Prana101” with a €100M target. AI for Agriculture: IIT Ropar’s ANNAM.AI launched HACK CORE 2026 with Syngenta and Google, inviting students, researchers, startups and innovators to build AI tools for crop health, pest control, soil intelligence and climate-resilient farming; winners get a visit to Syngenta’s Italy research centre and Google Cloud credits. Cybersecurity Watch: Google-linked reporting says Russia’s Turla added a .NET backdoor (“STOCKSTAY”) to target Ukraine government and military orgs, highlighting ongoing risks for business IT. Local Business Climate: A UK steel-safeguarding move is drawing warnings from downstream manufacturers that quotas could still raise costs and push some firms to relocate—an indirect reminder for Italian SMEs tied to industrial supply chains.