The Economic and Social Implications of the Digital Transition in Tuscany

This volume, edited by Marco Mariani and Nicola Sciclone, brings together the papers presented at the seminar ‘The economic and social implications of the digital transition in Tuscany’, which took place in Florence (the Exhibition Hall of Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati) on 17 April 2026, organised by IRPET.

Digitalisation is not a neutral backdrop against which businesses and regions operate: it is a force that widens gaps, reshapes hierarchies, rewards those who know how to integrate it and penalises those who lag behind. Tuscany is experiencing this tension particularly acutely: a mature economic fabric made up of small businesses, young talent seeking opportunities elsewhere, promising technologies that are struggling to take off, and an innovation ecosystem that still needs strengthening.

This book gets to the heart of these contradictions. Through rigorous analysis, it shows that policies can work – but only when strategic support, skills training and financial incentives work in tandem. It documents the dynamics of the digital labour market, the cultural and structural barriers affecting the adoption of technology in agriculture, the effects of the digitalisation of public procurement, the impact of artificial intelligence on productivity and employment, and the new balance between physical and digital commerce. It concludes with the priorities that have emerged from dialogue between institutions, businesses and the research community: integrated ecosystems, sustained investment, and a data-driven culture as a prerequisite for any transformation. An evidence-based contribution to guide policies capable of supporting productivity, equity and sustainable development.

ISBN 978-88-6517-223-0 | © 2026 – IRPET
Graphic design and production: Elena Zangheri (IRPET)
Printed by: Tipografia EDIFIR-Edizioni Firenze S.r.l.