The G7's 'Industry and ICT' summit kicked off in the northwest Italian city of Turin on Monday amid tight security and was due to be opened by Italy's deputy economic development minister Antonello Giacomelli.
Ministers from the world's most advanced economies - the United States, Canada, France, Britain, Germany, Japan and Italy - are attending the six-day conference taking place at the 17th-century Reggia di Venaria Reale palace.
Industry is the focus of the first two days of the summit, with science taking centre-stage on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday and Saturday's summit sessions will centre on employment.
Key themes to be addressed at the summit include innovation, the transformation of industry and the workplace by digital technologies and automation, and the new challenge facing science and research.
There will be heavy police presence on the ground in Turin and police helicopters are patrolling overhead to ensure security at the summit.