Italy's ICT Policies

"The modernisation of Italy with a broad range of structural reforms is the focus of the Government's programme. Such change is the only way to equip the country with solid foundations for lasting economic development, more and better opportunities for all Italians and the civil and social development of the country.
Among the various "levers" available to implement this project, a leading role is played by modern information and communication technologies, with their enormous potential for stimulating innovation. Although these technologies are, and will remain, a tool, we must not underestimate their power to transform, their pervasive presence in nearly all sectors of a country's life, their ability to trigger a cascade of changes and their constant evolution, which continues to open up new opportunities for use.
It is therefore essential for Italy, like all modern countries, to develop a comprehensive strategy for the realisation of the information society based on innovation and knowledge. The success of this strategy requires the full collaboration not only of all central and local government bodies, but also businesses, the research community and the social sector.
The guidelines for this Parliament specify the Government's commitment to making Italy a leader in the digital age, modernising the country through the widespread use of new information and communication technologies in both the public and private sectors and boosting its competitiveness by accelerating the spread of the online economy and developing a model of the information society that improves the quality of life and prevents exclusion of any kind. "

- Lucio Stanca, Italian Minister for Innovation and Technologies

The Italian government recognizes that Italy's progress in ICT has lagged behind that of the ICT leaders in the EU, US, and Asia. For example, according to an experimental European Commission study measuring the divergence of the European countries, the US, and Japan, along 17 qualitative dimensions of innovation:

According to The Government's Guidelines for the development of the Information Society, "The exercise revealed that Italy's greatest weaknesses in innovation were government investment in R&D, education and skill levels, high technology patents and innovation financing. The country's strong point was the innovative capacity of its small and medium sized enterprises". As of 2002, key facts statistics that support this include:

• Italian spending on ICT R&D was half the European average in the public and private sectors.
• The number of Italian patents registered with the European patent office was among the lowest in Europe.
• Only 1 in 10 Italian firms sells products online; slightly more than that buy products online
• Only 1 in 5 Italian workers have basic ICT skills
• Some population segments risk being excluded from the benefits of information technology.

The report divided it's recommendations into two sections - transforming the government, and transforming the nation as a whole.

The 10 priorities for e-government, approved in February 2002, include

1. All "priority" services available online.
2. 30 million Electronic ID Cards and National Services Cards to be distributed.
3. 1 million digital signatures distributed by the end of 2003.
4. 50% of expenditures on goods and services to be effected by e-procurement.
5. All internal government correspondence to be sent by e-mail.
6. All payment commitments and orders to be managed online.
7. Certification of computer literacy for all eligible public-sector employees.
8. 1/3 of all training by e-learning.
9. 2/3 of all central government offices to offer citizens online access to administrative procedure files.
10. All offices that deliver services must also have a system for measuring customer satisfaction.

Key priorities for transforming the nation as a whole include:

• Digital literacy, achieved through investing in schools and universities, helping employees to purchase a computer through their employer, promoting the European Computer Driving License, increasing computer literacy for public sector employees
• Ensuring diffusion of ICT to disadvantaged groups, such as the elderly and the poor
• E-learning
• Broadband diffusion
• Digital Signatures
• Promoting applied research and development, through training of ICT specialists, creating and upgrading broadband networks, incentives for joint public-private research, fostering the use of ICTs to SMEs and industrial districts
• Electronic commerce, by developing infrastructure and policies to improve ease of payment, transaction security, improving the legal and regulatory framework
• Promotion of ICT use among SMEs through tax exemptions for profits reinvested into ICTs, training, facilitating access by SMEs to the government procurement market
• Teleworking
• Telemedicine
• Tourism

Source: Minister for Innovation and Technology. The Government's Guidelines for the development of the Information Society.

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