The course focuses on technological change and the related innovation processes, while keeping the firm as the unit of analysis. In particular, it examines how firms (their organization and performance) transform following the adoption of enabling technologies associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), together with an analysis of the most recent developments in the use of artificial intelligence.
For each topic, the underlying theoretical framework is central, supported by empirical evidence (data analysis) and the discussion of case studies.
Particular attention is devoted to: (i) the digital transition of the Italian productive system, in order to understand its critical challenges and opportunities; and (ii) the evaluation of the impact of industrial policies on firms’ investments in digitalization and on their productivity.
The aim is to interpret the trajectories of firms’ digitalization and understand its implications both at micro and aggregate level.
For each topic, the underlying theoretical framework is central, supported by empirical evidence (data analysis) and the discussion of case studies.
Particular attention is devoted to: (i) the digital transition of the Italian productive system, in order to understand its critical challenges and opportunities; and (ii) the evaluation of the impact of industrial policies on firms’ investments in digitalization and on their productivity.
The aim is to interpret the trajectories of firms’ digitalization and understand its implications both at micro and aggregate level.
Curriculum
scheda docente
materiale didattico
Syllabus
Innovation and technological change;
The third industrial revolution: information and communication technologies;
The fourth industrial revolution: the advanced digital technologies;
The Artificial Intelligence;
Digital platforms: main characteristics of the platform business.
The Italian economic system and the digital transition;
Digital technology and firms’ productivity;
Firms’ size and digital technology;
Managerial ability, corporate governance and digitalization;
Financing conditions: the role of advanced technologies;
E-commerce;
Internationalization and digitalization;
Industrial policies
Next Generation EU and the Resilience and Recovery Plan;
From ndustry 4.0 plan to Transition 5.0
The evaluation impact of digitalization policies.
Andrews, D., G. Nicoletti and C. Timiliotis (2018), Digital technology diffusion: A matter of capabilities, incentives or both?, OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 1476, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/7c542c16-en.
Banca d’Italia, Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy & Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze (2024), Gli incentivi in investimenti 4.0: una valutazione dell’impatto della misura, 2024, https://www.bancaditalia. it/pubblicazioni/altri-rapporti/2024-mef/Gli_incentivi_in_investimen- ti_4.0.pdf
Baroncelli A., Serio L. (2020), Economia e gestione delle imprese, Mc Graw Hill, Milano (chapter 14)
Bencivelli L.Formai S., E. Mattevi E., Padellini T. , Embracing the digital transition: The adoption of cloud computing and AI by Italian firms, Questioni di Economia e Finanza, Occasional papers Banca d’Italia, N. 946, 2025
Commissione Europea (2022), Indice di digitalizzazione dell’economia e della società, Italia,
Belleflamme P., Peitz M. (2021), The economics of platforms, Cambridge University Press, (chapter 1)
Eurofound (2018), Automation, digitalisation and platforms: Implication for work and employment, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxemburg
Giunta A., Mantuano M. (2025), Digitalizzazione in Italia: imprese e politica industriale, Economia Italiana, n. 3, 119-180
Giunta A., Rossi S. (2017), Che cosa sa fare l’Italia, Laterza, Bari (chapters: 2,3,4)
ISTAT (2023), Imprese e ICT, Istituto nazionale di statistica, Rome
Lotti F., Meliciani V. (2021) Dinamiche industriali, Bologna, Il Mulino, (chapters: V, IX, X)
McKinsey and Company (2023) The economic potential of generative AI, June
OECD (2022), Closing the Italian digital gap, OECD Science, technology and industry, policy papers, March n. 126
Malerba F. (2000), Economia dell’innovazione, Carocci publisher, Rome, (chapters: 1,5)
Pellegrino, B. and L. Zingales (2017), Diagnosing the Italian Disease, NBER Working Papers, No. 23964, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA, http://www.nber.org/papers/w23964.
Programma
The course is about the fourth industrial revolution. It focuses on the characteristics of business digitalization processes and their impact on organization and performance. In each topic, the analysis of empirical evidence will be central and supported by the presentation of the underlying theory related to the subjects under study. Particular attention will be dedicated to the Italian production system to understand the critical issues and opportunities for Italian companies in facing the digital transition.Syllabus
Innovation and technological change;
The third industrial revolution: information and communication technologies;
The fourth industrial revolution: the advanced digital technologies;
The Artificial Intelligence;
Digital platforms: main characteristics of the platform business.
The Italian economic system and the digital transition;
Digital technology and firms’ productivity;
Firms’ size and digital technology;
Managerial ability, corporate governance and digitalization;
Financing conditions: the role of advanced technologies;
E-commerce;
Internationalization and digitalization;
Industrial policies
Next Generation EU and the Resilience and Recovery Plan;
From ndustry 4.0 plan to Transition 5.0
The evaluation impact of digitalization policies.
Testi Adottati
Besides these articles, a reading list will be provided during the course and available on the course MoodleAndrews, D., G. Nicoletti and C. Timiliotis (2018), Digital technology diffusion: A matter of capabilities, incentives or both?, OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 1476, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/7c542c16-en.
Banca d’Italia, Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy & Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze (2024), Gli incentivi in investimenti 4.0: una valutazione dell’impatto della misura, 2024, https://www.bancaditalia. it/pubblicazioni/altri-rapporti/2024-mef/Gli_incentivi_in_investimen- ti_4.0.pdf
Baroncelli A., Serio L. (2020), Economia e gestione delle imprese, Mc Graw Hill, Milano (chapter 14)
Bencivelli L.Formai S., E. Mattevi E., Padellini T. , Embracing the digital transition: The adoption of cloud computing and AI by Italian firms, Questioni di Economia e Finanza, Occasional papers Banca d’Italia, N. 946, 2025
Commissione Europea (2022), Indice di digitalizzazione dell’economia e della società, Italia,
Belleflamme P., Peitz M. (2021), The economics of platforms, Cambridge University Press, (chapter 1)
Eurofound (2018), Automation, digitalisation and platforms: Implication for work and employment, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxemburg
Giunta A., Mantuano M. (2025), Digitalizzazione in Italia: imprese e politica industriale, Economia Italiana, n. 3, 119-180
Giunta A., Rossi S. (2017), Che cosa sa fare l’Italia, Laterza, Bari (chapters: 2,3,4)
ISTAT (2023), Imprese e ICT, Istituto nazionale di statistica, Rome
Lotti F., Meliciani V. (2021) Dinamiche industriali, Bologna, Il Mulino, (chapters: V, IX, X)
McKinsey and Company (2023) The economic potential of generative AI, June
OECD (2022), Closing the Italian digital gap, OECD Science, technology and industry, policy papers, March n. 126
Malerba F. (2000), Economia dell’innovazione, Carocci publisher, Rome, (chapters: 1,5)
Pellegrino, B. and L. Zingales (2017), Diagnosing the Italian Disease, NBER Working Papers, No. 23964, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA, http://www.nber.org/papers/w23964.
Modalità Frequenza
Attendance in person is highly recommendedModalità Valutazione
Written exam (60% of the grade) and oral presentation (40% of the grade)
scheda docente
materiale didattico
Syllabus
Innovation and technological change;
The third industrial revolution: information and communication technologies;
The fourth industrial revolution: the advanced digital technologies;
The Artificial Intelligence;
Digital platforms: main characteristics of the platform business.
The Italian economic system and the digital transition;
Digital technology and firms’ productivity;
Firms’ size and digital technology;
Managerial ability, corporate governance and digitalization;
Financing conditions: the role of advanced technologies;
E-commerce;
Internationalization and digitalization;
Industrial policies
Next Generation EU and the Resilience and Recovery Plan;
From ndustry 4.0 plan to Transition 5.0
The evaluation impact of digitalization policies.
Andrews, D., G. Nicoletti and C. Timiliotis (2018), Digital technology diffusion: A matter of capabilities, incentives or both?, OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 1476, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/7c542c16-en.
Banca d’Italia, Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy & Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze (2024), Gli incentivi in investimenti 4.0: una valutazione dell’impatto della misura, 2024, https://www.bancaditalia. it/pubblicazioni/altri-rapporti/2024-mef/Gli_incentivi_in_investimen- ti_4.0.pdf
Baroncelli A., Serio L. (2020), Economia e gestione delle imprese, Mc Graw Hill, Milano (chapter 14)
Bencivelli L.Formai S., E. Mattevi E., Padellini T. , Embracing the digital transition: The adoption of cloud computing and AI by Italian firms, Questioni di Economia e Finanza, Occasional papers Banca d’Italia, N. 946, 2025
Commissione Europea (2022), Indice di digitalizzazione dell’economia e della società, Italia,
Belleflamme P., Peitz M. (2021), The economics of platforms, Cambridge University Press, (chapter 1)
Eurofound (2018), Automation, digitalisation and platforms: Implication for work and employment, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxemburg
Giunta A., Mantuano M. (2025), Digitalizzazione in Italia: imprese e politica industriale, Economia Italiana, n. 3, 119-180
Giunta A., Rossi S. (2017), Che cosa sa fare l’Italia, Laterza, Bari (chapters: 2,3,4)
ISTAT (2023), Imprese e ICT, Istituto nazionale di statistica, Rome
Lotti F., Meliciani V. (2021) Dinamiche industriali, Bologna, Il Mulino, (chapters: V, IX, X)
McKinsey and Company (2023) The economic potential of generative AI, June
OECD (2022), Closing the Italian digital gap, OECD Science, technology and industry, policy papers, March n. 126
Malerba F. (2000), Economia dell’innovazione, Carocci publisher, Rome, (chapters: 1,5)
Pellegrino, B. and L. Zingales (2017), Diagnosing the Italian Disease, NBER Working Papers, No. 23964, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA, http://www.nber.org/papers/w23964.
Mutuazione: 21210496 Economia delle imprese e transizione digitale in Economia e Gestione della Trasformazione Digitale LM-56 R GIUNTA ANNA
Programma
The course is about the fourth industrial revolution. It focuses on the characteristics of business digitalization processes and their impact on organization and performance. In each topic, the analysis of empirical evidence will be central and supported by the presentation of the underlying theory related to the subjects under study. Particular attention will be dedicated to the Italian production system to understand the critical issues and opportunities for Italian companies in facing the digital transition.Syllabus
Innovation and technological change;
The third industrial revolution: information and communication technologies;
The fourth industrial revolution: the advanced digital technologies;
The Artificial Intelligence;
Digital platforms: main characteristics of the platform business.
The Italian economic system and the digital transition;
Digital technology and firms’ productivity;
Firms’ size and digital technology;
Managerial ability, corporate governance and digitalization;
Financing conditions: the role of advanced technologies;
E-commerce;
Internationalization and digitalization;
Industrial policies
Next Generation EU and the Resilience and Recovery Plan;
From ndustry 4.0 plan to Transition 5.0
The evaluation impact of digitalization policies.
Testi Adottati
Besides these articles, a reading list will be provided during the course and available on the course MoodleAndrews, D., G. Nicoletti and C. Timiliotis (2018), Digital technology diffusion: A matter of capabilities, incentives or both?, OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 1476, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/7c542c16-en.
Banca d’Italia, Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy & Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze (2024), Gli incentivi in investimenti 4.0: una valutazione dell’impatto della misura, 2024, https://www.bancaditalia. it/pubblicazioni/altri-rapporti/2024-mef/Gli_incentivi_in_investimen- ti_4.0.pdf
Baroncelli A., Serio L. (2020), Economia e gestione delle imprese, Mc Graw Hill, Milano (chapter 14)
Bencivelli L.Formai S., E. Mattevi E., Padellini T. , Embracing the digital transition: The adoption of cloud computing and AI by Italian firms, Questioni di Economia e Finanza, Occasional papers Banca d’Italia, N. 946, 2025
Commissione Europea (2022), Indice di digitalizzazione dell’economia e della società, Italia,
Belleflamme P., Peitz M. (2021), The economics of platforms, Cambridge University Press, (chapter 1)
Eurofound (2018), Automation, digitalisation and platforms: Implication for work and employment, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxemburg
Giunta A., Mantuano M. (2025), Digitalizzazione in Italia: imprese e politica industriale, Economia Italiana, n. 3, 119-180
Giunta A., Rossi S. (2017), Che cosa sa fare l’Italia, Laterza, Bari (chapters: 2,3,4)
ISTAT (2023), Imprese e ICT, Istituto nazionale di statistica, Rome
Lotti F., Meliciani V. (2021) Dinamiche industriali, Bologna, Il Mulino, (chapters: V, IX, X)
McKinsey and Company (2023) The economic potential of generative AI, June
OECD (2022), Closing the Italian digital gap, OECD Science, technology and industry, policy papers, March n. 126
Malerba F. (2000), Economia dell’innovazione, Carocci publisher, Rome, (chapters: 1,5)
Pellegrino, B. and L. Zingales (2017), Diagnosing the Italian Disease, NBER Working Papers, No. 23964, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA, http://www.nber.org/papers/w23964.
Modalità Frequenza
Attendance in person is highly recommendedModalità Valutazione
Written exam (60% of the grade) and oral presentation (40% of the grade)