New technologies in support of creativity and innovation

In Italy, various initiatives aim to promote the use of technology as a driver of innovation and a tool for supporting creativity. The country is investing in digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and technology labs with the goal of fostering new ideas and enhancing the creative talent of younger generations.

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) places particular emphasis on innovation for new generations:

Mission 1 "Digitalization, Innovation, Competitiveness, Culture, and Tourism" promotes and supports the digital transition in both the private sector and public administration. Its key actions include:

• Digitalization initiatives to complete school connectivity;
• Investments in broadband and high-speed connections to create the necessary technological infrastructure, enabling youth entrepreneurship to expand its market reach;
• Planned investments under M1C3.1 "Cultural Heritage for the Next Generation" to digitize cultural heritage. Additional measures include environmentally sustainable redevelopment of structures and tourism services in museums, monumental complexes, archaeological sites, archives, and state libraries;
• The Digital Civic Service, which aims to recruit thousands of young volunteers to help approximately one million users acquire basic digital skills (Cf. 2.4).

Mission 4 "Education and Research" includes:

• The transformation of traditional classrooms into connected learning environments through school digitalization;
• The creation of digital profession labs for secondary education;
• The use of technology in coding, robotics, and virtual reality for educational purposes.

The Scientific and Technological Culture Week is an initiative by the Ministry of University and Research aimed at promoting creativity and innovation, with the primary goal of engaging young people in the proposed activities. For one week each year, universities, industries, and public and private institutions open their specialized laboratories and museums, offering students the opportunity to explore scientific research firsthand and familiarize themselves with the tools used in this field.

The 2023-2026 Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the Ministry of Education and Merit (MIM) and the Italian Association for Informatics and Automatic Calculation (AICA), aims to promote the widespread adoption of certified digital skills in education. It targets both teachers and non-teaching staff across all school levels, as well as students throughout the country. Among its key objectives, the agreement seeks to activate a process of educational and digital innovation in schools, aligning with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) resources. Additionally, the Memorandum includes initiatives to promote Cybersecurity, Coding, Educational Robotics, and STEAM disciplines more broadly.

The Strategic Programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI) 2022-2024, adopted in 2021, is the result of joint efforts by the Ministry of University and Research, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition.

The goal of the strategy is to establish Italy as a globally competitive hub in the field of artificial intelligence. Among the key youth-focused policies outlined in the program are:

• Attracting young researchers who are recipients of prestigious international research grants;
• Integrating STEM-related activities, methodologies, and content into the curricula of all educational levels;
• Expanding AI education within Higher Technical Institutes;
• Supporting the growth of innovative spin-offs and start-ups.

Facilitating access to culture through new technologies

To facilitate access to culture, especially among young people, Italy promotes various initiatives using new technologies.

Aligned with the PNRR Cultura 4.0 investment Strategies and digital platforms for cultural heritage, the National Plan for the Digitalization of Cultural Heritage (PND) was developed by the Central Institute for the Digitisation of Cultural Heritage - Digital Library under the Ministry of Culture. This plan represents the strategic vision through which the Ministry aims to drive the digital transformation process from 2022 to 2026, primarily targeting museums, archives, libraries, central institutions, and state cultural sites that own, preserve, manage, and promote cultural assets.

The General Catalogue of Cultural Heritage, promoted by the Ministry of Culture (MiC) and the Central Institute for Cataloguing and Documentation (ICCD), enhances access to Italy’s vast cultural heritage. This digital platform contains detailed descriptions of cataloged cultural assets in Italy, allowing users to search, preview, and access the catalog entry for each item of interest.

Gran Virtual Tour is an initiative by the Ministry of Culture (MiC) that offers virtual tours of archaeological sites, museums, and historical monuments, combining high-resolution imagery with multimedia insights.

The Giovani 2030 platform and the National Youth Card are digital tools designed to facilitate young people's access to culture, promoted by the Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civic Service. The platform serves as a portal showcasing opportunities for young people, while the card provides discounts and benefits on a wide range of goods and services, including culture, sports, education, and mobility.

The Strategic Programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI) 2022-2024 includes, among its measures, the creation of an Italian platform for AI research, featuring open-source data and software libraries.

The National Library Service Catalogue (SBN) allows users to conduct bibliographic searches within the shared catalogue of Italian libraries. This network is promoted by the Ministry of Culture (MiC), Regional Authorities, and Universities, and is coordinated by the Central Institute for the Union Catalogue (ICCU). Through the SBN Public Catalogue, users can identify relevant documents, locate the libraries that hold them, and access interlibrary loan services.