ITALIA DIGITALE: webinar on Formez Pa's 2022 Report 'The Digital Transition'

Written By Alessandro Valenza
Publishing 09 March 2023

On Tuesday 21^st of February, Formez organised a webinar on the Report 'The Digital Transition'.
The webinar had as speakers Mattia Fantinati - President of IGF, Andrea Sammarco, Deputy Secretary General of Unioncamere, Alessandro Benzia, Director of Human Capital Development of Formez.  The webinar was also attended by Alessandro Valenza, expert, and founder of t33. As an IGF partner, t33 contributed through the work of Alessandro and Elena Iacobucci to the realisation of the first section of the Report ‘The Digital Transition’ entitled ‘Ideas and reflections from DESI for the digital transition in Italy’ DESI is a digital economy and society index that summaries indicators on digital performance in the EU, tracking member country progress.
Specifically, in the report section:

• DESI indicators have been contextualised, making them more 'adherent' to the Italian reality;
• Suggestions for reflection but also possible solutions were collected from key actors in the digital transition process in Italy, already partners of IGF Italy;
• Good practices were identified.

• Human capital: Giuseppe Iacono Coordinator of Repubblica Digitale and Anna Carbone Professor at the Polytechnic of Turin.
• Connectivity: Giuseppina Di Foggia Managing Director and Vice President Nokia Italia S.p.A.
• Technology Integration: Andrea Sammarco Deputy Secretary General Unioncamere, Roberto Bedani and Francesca Giordano Confindustria Digitale.
• Digital Public Services: Massimiliano D'Angelo, Central Directorate for Information and Technology Systems, INPS.

The ideas taken were then reworked and integrated to ideally form the result of a focus group that took place between all these parties. This process made it possible to arrive at a broader reflection.
The arguments were many and very different one to the other, but with a point of convergence (as shown in the figure below): it was found that professional and, more generally, cultural deficiencies are the elements that determine and feed the Italian digital divide.  These deficiencies were in fact reported, in different ways, by all those interviewed in the different areas. If the human factor is the critical element, it is also the element from which to start with intense work on strengthening technical capabilities both in PA and in small businesses. Upstream, there is a need for greater common awareness of the necessity of the digital transition.


 

A final thank you to Concettina Cassa (AgID) e Mattia Fantinati, who made possible and supported the work of the t33 experts.