During the Second World War, the German army dominated Europe thanks in part to the cryptographic technology used in communications: the Enigma machine. To be able to decipher its codes, the British relied on a group of mathematicians, physicists, and linguists who worked in a secret location, Bletchley Park, in England. Their work was a true scientific revolution, a fundamental turning point for the Allies’ victory.

Italy has been making significant strides towards achieving the Digital Decade targets and embracing digital transformation. While progress has been made in certain areas, there are still challenges that need to be addressed. In this blog post, we will explore Italy’s advancements in digital infrastructure, the digitalization of businesses, and the need for further efforts in updating advanced digital technologies and digitalizing public services.

Digital Infrastructure

Italy has shown progress in digital infrastructure, with a significant boost in investment through its Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). However, when it comes to fixed very high-capacity network (VHCN), Italy still lags behind the EU average, with only 54% of households having access compared to 73% in the EU. Despite a 10 percentage point increase between 2021 and 2022, there is still room for improvement in this area.

Our concentration is a finite resource. I often compare it to a reservoir that provides “fuel” throughout the workday and that must necessarily be recharged through collateral activities. It goes without saying that it is up to us to choose how to distribute our energy during the day and how to divide it among different tasks. After all, every activity requires a certain amount of energy to be completed. So far, so clear—but what happens if we use our concentration trying to carry out several activities at the same time? Staying with the engine metaphor, the effect will be that we cover little ground for each activity we are engaged in, and the result will be unsatisfactory and, in the worst case, frustrating.

Not all jobs can be done remotely. I’ll start with this premise, perhaps obvious to many, because I still find myself debating on social media with people who counter with simplistic arguments, trying to pontificate about which tasks are compatible with remote work. The job market has never been in such a state of flux as it is now and, thanks to a major technological push, we can confidently say that Generation Alpha will perform tasks that have not even been imagined yet. On the other hand, repetitive or low value-added jobs are constantly subject to automation. So yes, not all jobs are compatible with remote work, but the trend of jobs that can be done remotely is steadily growing.

Robert Rodriguez is a master (together with Quentin Tarantino) of modern exploitation films. A film genre that, setting aside artistic values, highlights violent scenes and offers viewers a raw vision of reality.

On August 31, 2022, the simplification adopted during the COVID emergency for managing employees in remote work will end. Therefore, there will be no further extensions, and every employee who wishes to work in this mode will need a reformulation of their contract. Exactly as it was in the pre-COVID period. While lawmakers have disregarded the requests of many for a new and simpler access to agile work, companies will still have to face the needs of those who, having experienced remote work, prefer it over working on-site.