Culture is an indispensable element when it comes to digital sustainability. It is the solid base on which to build a transformation that is as important as it is complex. And it is the essential condition for understanding the risks, but above all the great opportunities that lie in the technologies, and thus for managing the digital transformation in such a way as to generate real value.
We talked about this and more with Carlo Colapietro, Pro-rector with responsibility for Artificial Intelligence digital security strategies and personal data protection at the Università degli Studi Roma Tre, in this interview carried out on the occasion of the University’s entry into the Foundation for Digital Sustainability network. Full Professor for the scientific-disciplinary sector ‘Constitutional and Public Law’, Carlo Colapietro is also Director of the European Interdepartmental Research Centre for Advanced Studies on Digital Innovation (IDEAS) at the Department of Law of the University of Roma Tre. He is the author of more than 200 publications on government and public administration, sources of law, constitutional justice and fundamental rights, with specific reference to social rights and the welfare state, as well as on rights related to new technologies – in particular, the right to personal data protection, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
When digital creates (sustainable) value
“Roma Tre defines itself as a modern and dynamic university, and sustainability is one of its founding values,” explained Carlo Colapietro. Highlighting how the university’s is, first and foremost, a cultural path, because that is the basis from which sustainability can have a real impact. “The University has joined the Network of Universities for Sustainable Development (RUS) and has embarked on a structured path to integrate the principles of sustainability in all its missions: teaching, research, third mission and facilities management. The University is inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030, and is building a shared strategy that will become part of the University Strategic Plan. To coordinate this commitment, Roma Tre has set up a structure dedicated to the dissemination of the culture of sustainability within the academic community and in the territory. Specifically, after setting up the ‘Roma Tre Sostenibile’ Working Group, in April 2025 it also established the ‘Sustainability Report’ subgroup, with the task of defining methodologies and editorial standards suitable for effectively measuring, representing and communicating the wide-ranging and intense sustainable activity carried out by the University. In this framework, sustainability is not an ancillary issue, but a cultural and operational orientation that guides our institutional choices‘.
And it is precisely in keeping with the University’s commitment to Agenda 2030 that, he explained, digital plays a leading role. “Digital sustainability, for Roma Tre, does not only mean reducing the environmental impact of technologies, but orienting the entire digital ecosystem – infrastructures, services, skills, processes – towards a model that generates value for the academic community and the territory. In this perspective, digital technology becomes an enabling factor for sustainability: it makes it possible to optimise consumption, improve accessibility, foster transparency, support the quality of teaching and research, and make administrative management more efficient. At the same time, it requires critical awareness, because digital transformation entails energy costs, device life cycles, exclusion risks and new ethical responsibilities. For Roma Tre, digital sustainability is important because it lies at the heart of the University’s development strategy, which aims at an organisational model capable of combining innovation and responsibility. Digital sustainability thus becomes a cultural commitment, as well as a technical one. We are, in fact, strongly committed to training students and staff in the conscious use of technology, designing inclusive services, reducing waste and inefficiency, and contributing to a more mature digital citizenship‘.
Digital sustainability from theory to practice
As underlined by Carlo Colapietro, for Roma Tre sustainability is therefore a transversal principle that guides governance, services, education and third mission. And, in this framework, digital sustainability becomes a natural extension of the University’s commitment. “For us, this means educating in the conscious use of technologies, the protection of digital rights, IT security, accessibility and the ability to critically assess the social and energy impact of digital tools.
Our contribution to students consists in transforming these principles into concrete educational experiences: courses integrating ethics, law and technology; workshops showing how data and artificial intelligence can be used in a transparent and sustainable way; interdisciplinary paths linking ecological and digital transition. At the same time, research and the third mission allow students to be involved in real projects, in which digital sustainability becomes everyday practice: from designing inclusive services to collaborating with organisations and companies to disseminate responsible models of innovation“.
Towards a safe and sustainable Artificial Intelligence
In this sense, one of the areas of greatest interest for the University – as for society as a whole today – is artificial intelligence. This is a field that Carlo Colapietro knows very well, as he holds the position of Pro-rector at Roma Tre with responsibility for strategies on digital security of AI and the protection of personal data: themes that are strongly interconnected with that of sustainability. “The connection between AI digital security, personal data protection and sustainability is now structural. Sustainability is no longer just about the environment, but about the ability of institutions to ensure reliable, fair and rights-compliant systems over time. In this sense, a secure digital ecosystem is a necessary condition for any sustainable development model.
AI security directly affects social sustainability because it protects people from algorithmic discrimination, information manipulation and misuse of data. Without these guarantees, collective trust in technologies erodes and it becomes impossible to build inclusive and durable processes. At the same time, the protection of personal data is an element of institutional sustainability: it preserves the integrity of relationships between citizens and administrations, reduces systemic risks and enables the development of reliable digital services. Then there is an environmental dimension that is often overlooked: AI technologies have a significant energy impact and require infrastructures that must be designed according to criteria of efficiency, transparency and accountability. In short, AI security, data protection and sustainability are not parallel domains, but parts of a single architecture. Working on one of these fronts means strengthening the others as well, because they all contribute to building a reliable, just and lasting digital future‘.
The importance of working together
And it is to accelerate on these issues, from the dissemination of a culture of digital sustainability to the responsible management of digital transformation, that Roma Tre has decided to embark on this path with the Foundation. “Joining the Foundation’s network stems from the desire to place the University within a national community that believes that digital transformation must be an integral part of environmental, social and economic sustainability,” explained Carlo Colapietro. “This also offers the opportunity to develop collaborations with other public and private entities, fostering the emergence of research projects, training courses and joint initiatives that broaden the scope of the actions already undertaken by the University. Becoming part of this network also means actively contributing to the national debate on digital sustainability, bringing the experience and skills gained, including in the field of digital innovation, within the University of Roma Tre.
Finally, participation in the network allows the University’s commitment to be enhanced and made more visible, reinforcing its institutional profile as an innovator and quality-conscious player in its own digital transformation. In this perspective, membership is not just a formal act, but a strategic investment that supports the cultural growth of the Università Roma Tre‘.