The Department of Economics and Management (DEM) at the University of Trento has joined the network of the Foundation for Digital Sustainability. This new addition enriches the Foundation’s extensive network of members and partners, which we discussed here on Tech Economy 2030, with Diego Ponte: associate professor of business organisation at the DEM of the University of Trento – where he teaches courses on Business Information Systems and Digital Business Models – as well as a member of the Health, Decision Making and Management research group, where he studies digitalisation in healthcare. And, with the department’s inclusion, a new member has joined the Scientific Committee of the Foundation for Digital Sustainability.
In this interview, he told us what digital sustainability means for the DEM, how it is reflected in the University’s three missions, and the reasons behind the development of this new partnership.
The DEM’s multidisciplinary approach
“The Department of Economics and Management (DEM) at the University of Trento views sustainability not as an isolated field, but as a strategic and cross-cutting pillar that unites the department’s various disciplines: economics, business, law and quantitative analysis. “ A multidisciplinary research approach is essential for tackling the complexity of the current digital and sustainable transition, ”explained Diego Ponte.“In terms of its academic programmes, the DEM addresses the themes of sustainability and digitalisation across its bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes by adopting a range of approaches, spanning business economics, strategy, organisation, sustainable finance and even pure economics.
“The Department also acts as a scientific hub capable of analysing environmental complexity and translating it into practical economic and managerial strategies, demonstrating that sustainability is not a cost, but rather a driver of value with a long-term vision.”
Digital sustainability: a two-way approach
Diego Ponte explained that the DEM views digital sustainability as the critical intersection between the two greatest transformations of our century: the ecological and the digital. And, in its scientific, educational and third-mission activities, it adopts a two-way approach to the concept.“The first approach regards digital technology as a means of promoting sustainability. Utilising emerging Industry 5.0 technologies, such as AI, Big Data, the IoT and blockchain, can help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. However, technology alone is not sufficient to act as an enabler. It is necessary to develop the skills and knowledge required to translate these technologies into operational, managerial and strategic tools that are useful to organisations.”
The second perspective, on the other hand, regards digital technology as an end in itself. It is the idea of digital sustainability, which aims to explore methods and tools for mitigating and managing the environmental, social and ethical impact of the technologies themselves. This issue is important because technological innovation is not neutral. If left unmanaged, it risks consuming vast amounts of resources and exacerbating social inequalities. The DEM believes it is vital to train leaders capable of steering a responsible digitalisation process, in which algorithms serve the collective well-being and ecological efficiency.”
Three missions for digital sustainability
All of this comes down to culture: a culture of digital sustainability, capable of steering technological development towards sustainable development. In this sense, as Diego Ponte explained, the DEM acts as a ‘cultural catalyst’ both locally and nationally, channelling its contribution through the university’s three historic missions.“The university’s primary mission is to provide cutting-edge teaching. Nowadays, it is essential to equip students not only with technical skills, but also with ‘twin skills’: economic and digital skills combined. The aim is to create a new generation of entrepreneurs, managers, professionals and citizens capable of integrating data ethics and sustainability into corporate decision-making processes.”
The university’s second mission is to advance high-level scientific research. Among the department’s various objectives in this regard is to generate and disseminate new knowledge, through the publication of scientific papers analysing the impact of digitalisation on work, productivity and the environment. This research provides an empirical evidence base on which to base political and economic decisions.
“The third mission is to translate scientific knowledge into language that is accessible to civil society and the business community,”Diego Ponte concluded.“This takes the form of training courses for managers, public outreach events and round-table discussions with trade associations to democratise digital culture. One of the main examples of this is the Trento Festival of Economics.”
Infrastructure for development
For a region such as Trentino – though, as Diego Ponte emphasised, the model can be replicated in any local ecosystem – digital sustainability provides the infrastructure for economic and social development. And this translates into significant opportunities:“For example, the application of Industry 5.0 tools enables predictive management of the region. In a region such as Trentino, this can have an impact on historically characteristic sectors, such as agri-food, tourism and co-operation. Trentino’s productive fabric is also made up of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that often lack the resources needed to make large-scale investments in innovation. Digital sustainability, promoted at a regional level through innovation hubs run by the university and local public bodies, offers SMEs access to expertise in Industry 5.0 technologies, enabling them to reduce operational waste and position themselves competitively in national and international markets.
Furthermore, digital sustainability helps to combat depopulation in valleys and mountainous or rural areas. Through the digitalisation of essential services – telemedicine, regulated remote working, high-quality distance learning – and sustainable connectivity, equal rights and economic opportunities are guaranteed even far from major urban centres”. The study of digitalisation in healthcare is, moreover, one of the areas on which Prof. Ponte focuses his research, and he has emphasised its transformative potential:“As a researcher in the field of digital healthcare management, and looking at the impact of concrete initiatives such as those promoted by Trentino Digitale 4.0 in which the DEM is involved, I believe that the most disruptive transformative role of digital technology lies in its ability to radically reconfigure organisational models, moving from a purely reactive form of medicine to proactive and personalised healthcare. Through the integration of telemedicine platforms, artificial intelligence and real-time clinical data analysis, technology enables the centre of gravity to shift from hospital care to the local community and the patient’s home. This not only optimises the allocative efficiency of public resources and standardises doctors’ decision-making processes – reducing waiting lists and improving the appropriateness of prescriptions – but also breaks down the geographical barriers inherent in complex regions such as Trentino. This ensures genuine equity in access to high-quality specialist services, regardless of place of residence. More generally, digitalisation can lead to a tangible improvement in quality of life, giving people back precious time and easing the bureaucratic and cognitive burden that often weighs on patients and carers. Ultimately, the profound value of this transition lies not in the technology itself, but in its ability to act as a social enabler: a means of humanising care, reducing inequalities and enabling formal and informal care networks to support people in their own living environments, keeping them healthier, more independent and better protected.”
Keyword: co-creation of value
To consolidate its path towards digital sustainability, both as a university and as a ‘tool’ supporting regional development, the DEM at the University of Trento has chosen to join the network of the Foundation for Digital Sustainability.“Our entry into the Foundation’s network is driven by a desire to co-create value and move beyond traditional academic isolation, in line with the Triple Helix model (University-Business-Institutions),” explained Diego Ponte.“The network of companies and organisations that make up the Foundation offers the department a unique vantage point on the real needs of the market and on technological developments before they become common knowledge, enabling it to constantly update its educational programmes and research areas. On the other hand, the DEM can bring its rigorous methodological approaches to scientific research and its economic and legal expertise to the network of stakeholders that make up the Foundation, whilst at the same time benefiting from direct dialogue with the Foundation’s partners.”