(by Sandro Zilli, Innovation Manager and Head of AIDR Observatory for Innovation and Digital Growth) We are experiencing an unprecedented historical moment, characterized by the speed and unpredictability with which changes occur. On the other hand, it is also a useful time in which to seize the opportunity to realize what is expressed in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, namely: "building a resilient infrastructure and promoting innovation and fair, responsible and sustainable industrialization" .
Considering the extremely complex scenario, a good dose of creativity is needed to think outside the box, and ambitious reflections to favor the change in the paradigms that have accompanied us in recent years, with the aim of creating new foundations and rules for the investments that will have to be addressed in terms of infrastructure in various areas such as: transport, irrigation, energy, information and communication technologies.
Innovation is one of the determining factors for achieving sustainable development that cannot ignore the ethical principle of "co-responsibility" or a fundamental premise that leads to an "integral ecological" vision based on the "centrality of the person". These principles are the levers with which to support and strengthen the capacity of countries to increase productivity and incomes, as well as to promote better results in essential services such as health and education.
It is clear that the efforts to achieve objectives related to the environment, such as the increase of resources and energy efficiency, are inextricably linked to technological progress. Without technology and innovation, there will be no opportunity for growth and even less for industrialization and, without industrialization, there will be no economic development and well-being of individuals.
Promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development is a fundamental step to support the first source of income generation for people, to favor a rapid increase in the standard and quality of their life, but also to encourage the development of technological solutions for industrialization that respects the environment. Although there is the will to pursue the objectives described above, there is often a lack of an adequate strategy and an overview that leads to the desired result. To support this virtuous process, there is no recipe to follow, but it is necessary to be reactive and intervene on some structural aspects that can help reconfigure the various industrial sectors. In Italy, for example, where the production system is characterized by the high presence of small businesses often penalized by the scarcity of financial resources, it is necessary to fill the gap in the delay in the spread of new exponential technologies. In such conditions, it is not surprising that there is a strong limit to growth because development is limited by lower productivity than in other countries that can rely on cutting-edge knowledge and technologies. Furthermore, in Italy there is not only a low production of digital goods and services, but also a modest use of these by businesses and individuals. There is one figure above all that highlights the distress of our country and it is the level of digitization of Italy within the European Union that sees us only in 25th place among the Member States.
It is clear that, in order to accelerate sustainable development and solid and responsible growth, all the country's efforts must be concentrated on improving tangible and intangible infrastructures, on innovation and specifically on digital transformation.
It is therefore essential to put a new model of economy into practice; the current one, the so-called linear model, is characterized by a reckless production that does not take into account the limitation of raw materials, their unshared use and the wild disposal of waste, and is now destined to become increasingly inefficient and expensive for environment, for citizens-consumers and for businesses themselves.
In addition to infrastructures, it is necessary to encourage a new culture that sees scientific research, both public and private, at the center, but which above all favors innovations aimed at industrial diversification and the enhancement of existing products. Innovating requires an enormous effort to imagine, introduce, experiment and is aimed at discovering new horizons and new opportunities. Deciding to innovate is a strategic choice that can only flourish if it is well structured within organizations. Innovation involves the implementation of systemic and repetitive methods that, thanks to dedicated tools, roles and processes, can lead to the creation of ideas, technologies and projects that constitute value not only for companies but also for the territory in which they go to operate.
Innovating today means embracing new mindsets, fostering culture, rethinking the organization and operating in other areas by changing the way of producing, designing, selling and marketing.
The culture of innovation, to be translated into concrete results, requires an all-round involvement that transforms the internal structure of organizations and takes into account, as a fundamental lever, the multi-stakeholder approach. It is necessary to encourage the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of people, create new skills, invest in talents so as to favor the generation of new solutions.
These are the keywords around which to rethink change and restore the order of things in order to create a new paradigm of sustainability, capable of transforming the current scenario, characterized by scarcity and critical situations, into a more modern one in which generate new opportunities. Innovation offers companies the opportunity to become more competitive and to obtain considerable economic advantages, then allows them to make significant savings in terms of energy with consequent benefits for the environment, creates jobs at local level and offers opportunities for social integration. . Only through innovation and targeted investments is it possible to support the industrialization process and respond to the great challenges in terms of jobs, growth and improving the quality of life of the individual.