Italy climbs 5 positions in the Desi index and rises to 20th place in the EU in the 2021 report of the Digitization index of the European economy and society. This year Italy thus ranks 20th among the 27 member states of the European Union compared to the 25th place occupied in the previous edition, but our country remains “significantly behind other EU countries in terms of human capital. “underlines the Report, however, which notes that our country is” significantly behind other EU countries in terms of human capital. Compared to the EU average, it records very low levels of basic and advanced digital skills “. The Executive Vice-President for A Europe ready for the digital age, Margrethe Vestager, commented on the EU general framework positive: “The message from this year’s index is positive: all EU countries have made progress towards greater digitization and competitiveness, but more can be done. We are working with Member States to ensure that key investments are delivered through the mechanism for recovery and resilience in order to offer all citizens and businesses the maximum of digital opportunities “.
Returning to the digital transformation of our country, the Desi index notes that “during 2020 Italy has made some progress in terms of both coverage and deployment of connectivity networks, with a particularly significant increase in the deployment of connectivity services offering speeds of at least 1 Gbps. However, the pace of fiber deployment slowed between 2019 and 2020 and further efforts are needed to increase coverage of ultra-high-capacity networks and 5G and to encourage their deployment. The percentage of Italian online users who use online administration services (e-government) has increased from 30% in 2019 to 36% in 2020, but is still well below the EU average “.
“The step forward of Italy from 25th to 20th place in the general ranking
of the Desi 2021 Index, the first in several years, rewards the efforts we are making in the digitization process of the country “comments the Undersecretary of the Mise and vice-president of the Democratic Party, Anna Ascani.” It is – he continues –
a demanding challenge, supported by the NRP, which does not only concern infrastructures: our spirit is to always put people at the center. On this aspect, I want to highlight the progress made in the area of digital skills, improving by three positions compared to last year. Italy advances: digitization and skills are growing, we have finally started to move up the rankings, but much remains to be done “. According to the Undersecretary of the Mise, moreover, “the 12 positions gained in the field of integration of digital technologies, with a Country score above the European one, they demonstrate the efforts we have made, and are still making, so that the Italian system makes use of all technologies available: the Cloud, for example, records a level of adoption by companies equal to 38%, an evident increase compared to the 15% of Desi 2020 “. Finally, Ascani notes that “the Desi 2021 index, however, tells us that we need to do more with regards to connectivity, which still has delays – we are in 23rd place – such as for example in indicators relating to 5G coverage (8% compared to 14% of the EU average). On this front we are giving a significant impetus thanks to the implementation of the Ultra Broadband Strategy, through the completion of the White Areas Plan and the launch of interventions such as Italy at 1 Giga and Italy 5G “.
According to the Desi 2021 Report, in Italy the use of electronic health records by citizens and health professionals remains uneven on a regional basis. Most Italian SMEs (69%) has reached at least a basic level of digital intensity, a percentage well above the EU average (60%). Italian companies record excellent results in the use of electronic invoicing, although gaps remain in the use of technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, as well as in the spread of electronic commerce. The legislation adopted in 2020 provides for reforms aimed at accelerating the spread of broadband, including 5G, and at simplifying and accelerating the digitization of public services, according to the 2021 edition of the Desi index in the chapter reserved for Italy. In 2020 and 2021 there was a strong acceleration in the adoption of important enabling platforms for digital public services by public administrations, highlights the Desi index, forecasting that the new reforms envisaged by the Italian national plan for recovery and resilience they will further boost the digitization of services and the modernization of public administration across the country.
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