Abstract

The OECD analysis on productivity effect related to investment in ICT and high tech skills with special reference to the service sectors are explaining much of the structural productivity gap between Italy and the other industrial economies and more clearly between Central-Northern Italy and Southern Italy. Following examples coming from less industrialised countries like Estonia and India which are strongly investing in ICT and high tech skills with clear benefits in terms of productivity and development, Southern Italy should exploit the enormous opportunities coming from the new digital technologies to develop advanced services, innovative research centres and high tech start-ups and favour foreign investments.