Beginning in the 1950's, in response to the postwar need for new professional competencies, structured contents and adequate visibility of these new professions, in various industrial realities reference associations forTotal Cost Management emerged.

The following have been established: 

• in 1953 the Dutch Association (DACE),
• in 1956 the American (AACE)
• in 1960 the English (ACostE),
• in 1976 ICEC - the body for worldwide coordinating and scientific unification of  different national realities.

AICE was founded in 1979 in Italy. Since its beginning it has cooperated with the Institute of Quantitative Methods of theBocconiUniversity; since 1980 it has been a member of ICEC with a certification program accredited by ICEC. 

In the years following its foundation, AICE has had ongoing collaboration with other ICEC Associations and has organized conferences and seminars. Of note there was the European Forum in 1992, held at Bocconi University, “AICE Days” organized every year to share Total Cost Management knowledge among AICE members, firms and university researchers. AICE has extended its collaboration to business and industrial organisations through its Total Cost Management education course, accredited by ICEC and carried out thanks to its standing collaboration with BocconiUniversity in Milan.

Starting from 1979, the Presidents of the AICE have been the following:

1. dott. Cesare Sinicorni (1979)
2. dott. ing. Alessandro Riva (1980 - 1981)
3. dott. Cesare Sinicorni (1982 - 1983)
4. dott. ing. Alessandro Riva (1984 - 1985)
5. prof. ing. Luigi Pojaga (1986 - 1987)
6. dott. Giuseppe Catanzano (1988 - 1989)
7. prof. ing. Luigi Pojaga (1990 - 1991)
8. prof. ing. Luigi Pojaga (1992 - 1993)
9. prof. ing. Luigi Pojaga (1994 - 1995)
10. prof. ing. Luigi Pojaga (1996 - 1997)
11. dott. Giuseppe Catanzano (1998 - 2000)
12. dott. ing. Antonio Vettese (2001 - 2002)
13. dott. ing. Antonio Vettese (2003 - 2005)
14. dott. ing. Gianluca di Castri (2006 - 2008)
15. dott. ing. Gianluca di Castri (2009 - 2011)
16. dott. Emanuele Banchi (2012 - 2014)
17. dott. Emanuele Banchi (2015 - 2017)