Digital skills and universities: the challenge that will determine Italy’s future

The indicators of the European Commission’s 2026 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) paint an unambiguous picture for Italy. Digital transformation is not merely a technological transition: it is a transformation of skills. And it is precisely human capital that represents one of the key determinants of European competitiveness, as highlighted in the Draghi Report, which identifies the skills mismatch as one of the main obstacles to growth, innovation and the Union’s strategic autonomy. The place where this transformation must be steered is, first and foremost, the university.

The figures paint a picture that cannot be ignored. According to DESI 2026, just 54.27 per cent of Italians possess at least basic digital skills. The European Union average stands at 60.40 per cent, whilst the Digital Decade 2030 programme has set a target of 80 per cent of the population. Italy’s lag is therefore by no means marginal: it sets the country apart not only from the European average, but above all from the minimum threshold deemed necessary to support economic growth, innovation and social inclusion.

The picture looks even more worrying when considering the professional workforce. ICT specialists account for just 3.8 per cent of total employment in Italy, compared with a European average of 5 per cent and a target of 10 per cent by 2030. In practical terms, this means that the country would need to almost triple its pool of digital professionals in less than a decade. No industrial policy, no investment in digital infrastructure, and no strategy on artificial intelligence will be able to produce lasting effects without suitably trained people.

The point, however, runs even deeper. It would be a mistake to continue viewing digital technology as a field reserved for IT specialists. Artificial intelligence, cyber security, data science, cloud computing and automation are redefining all professions: doctors, lawyers, economists, teachers, architects, journalists, biologists and civil servants.

For this reason, university policy should definitively move away from a sectoral approach. It is not enough simply to increase enrolment in STEM courses, however essential that may be. What is needed is a cultural overhaul of the entire higher education system.

Five policy guidelines appear to be priorities today.

The first is the introduction of a national Digital Core Curriculum: a set of compulsory digital skills for all university students, regardless of their degree programme. Data literacy, the critical use of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data management and the principles of programming should form the basis of the new academic literacy.

The second concerns the strengthening of the ICT provision through an increase in the number of places available, scholarships and interdisciplinary programmes, accompanied by targeted policies to boost the number of women in technology disciplines, which remains significantly lower than European standards.

The third involves transforming collaboration with businesses, research centres and public administrations from an occasional experience into a structural component of training programmes.

The fourth calls for the university to be given a new mission: to be the leading national player in lifelong learning. The obsolescence of skills brought about by artificial intelligence makes micro-credentials, modular certifications and continuous professional development programmes essential for workers throughout their working lives.

The fifth point concerns the governance system. A growing proportion of public funding should be linked not only to research output, but also to universities’ ability to develop certified digital skills, enhance the employability of graduates in technology-intensive sectors and build partnerships with local innovation ecosystems.

There is also a need to establish a permanent national observatory on digital skills, capable of integrating university data, professional requirements and European indicators to guide the planning of training provision.

Competitiveness will not depend solely on investment in infrastructure or the adoption of artificial intelligence. It will depend above all on the calibre of the people who are able to design, use and manage those technologies. The DESI 2026 clearly shows that Italy’s real bottleneck is not merely technological, but first and foremost educational. Universities are not simply one of the players in the digital transformation: they constitute its most strategic infrastructure.

Italy boasts world-renowned scientific excellence, entrepreneurial skills and creativity. What is lacking is a critical mass of digital skills capable of meeting European challenges. Whilst the Draghi Report highlights the urgent need to revitalise Europe’s competitiveness through innovation, research and human capital, Italy’s response must necessarily begin with the universities. It is in university lecture theatres, even before research laboratories or data centres, that the country’s technological sovereignty and its ability to compete in the knowledge economy are built.