INTEGRATING DIGITAL TRANSITION AND TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT: A CO-EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH

Organizers

Grazia Concilio, Politecnico di Milano
Daniele Viarengo, Politecnico di Milano
Zintis Hermansons, Espon

Contributors

Valeria Fedeli, Politecnico di Milano
Michelangelo Secchi, Politecnico di Milano
Adam Whittle, University College Dublin
Dieter F. TBD Kogle, University College Dublin
Oren Yiftachel, Ben Gurion Universit
Camilla Perrone, Università Studi di Firenze
Riccardo Crescenzi, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Ron Boschma, Utrecht University
Valeria Monno, Politecnico di Bari
Martin Gauk, Espon

The concept of the digital divide was introduced and evolved in parallel with the development of the internet and, more broadly, the digital ecosystems that have shaped European societies over the past three decades. Several strands of research can be identified, each contributing to the evolution of this concept through complementary perspectives that have helped shape the multifaceted understanding attributed to the digital divide today. The digital divide has traditionally been understood and studied with a focus on individuals, social groups, or organizations. However, re-framing and interpreting this concept at a regional scale introduces a new set of challenges and opportunities for analysis. Much of this research is conducted at the national level, but such studies often fail to capture the complexity of regions as socio-institutional entities—a dimension that is typically better understood in studies focusing on nations or cities. Unlike nations or cities, regions require a more nuanced approach that considers their unique socio-economic, cultural, and institutional dynamics. This gap in research is particularly pressing, as the digital transition continues to transform how territorial and regional development is conceived and governed. The digital transition refers to the ongoing shift from traditional systems and practices to those driven by digital technologies. This process encompasses not only the adoption of digital tools but also broader transformations in economic structures, institutional arrangements, and social dynamics resulting from the integration of digital technologies into everyday life. Importantly, the digital transition unfolds differently across regions, sectors, individuals, companies, and public administrations, depending on varying local conditions and capabilities. While the concept of the digital divide can, to some extent, be conceived as decontextualized from specific geographical settings, the digital transition is always inherently tied to a specific territorial scale. The regional digital divide extends the concept of the digital divide to focus on disparities between regions or territories. These disparities encompass inequalities in access to digital technologies, the ability to utilize them effectively, and the socio-economic impacts of digitization. The way in which digital technologies are integrated into a particular region is shaped by the unique socio-economic and institutional characteristics of that region, making the digital transition a spatially contextualized process. This interplay highlights the need for approaches that integrate digital policies with territorial development strategies. Yet, planners often address these domains independently, leaving the digital policies to be set and implemented independently of territorial development. The main concerns: It is a shared vision that socio-economic development at the regional scale is consequent to the advancement of digital infrastructures and services, while the idea for a co-evolutionary vision would guarantee more efficient investments, equitable territorial attractiveness, and reduced territorial fragility. The roundtable aims at discussing how to develop research methodologies and policy approaches that can support such a co-evolutionary vision.

Key words: Digital Divide, Digital infrastructure, Digital transition