Investment boom in Digital Transformation in the world

​Digital transformation represents a momentous revolution that permeates and profoundly alters the economic, social and cultural fabric of modern societies. It is not just a technological process, but a complete transformation in the ways organizations operate and people interact. In an era where technology is advancing at a dizzying pace, embracing digital transformation is essential to remain competitive and sustainable

From a business perspective, it enables process optimization, access to new markets and the creation of innovative products and services. Businesses that adapt to new technologies can improve operational efficiency, reduce costs and deliver a better customer experience, thereby gaining a significant competitive advantage.

Ignoring it could lead to the risk of obsolescence and loss of competitiveness. Conversely, adopting a digital-first mindset can open up new opportunities, improve efficiency and foster innovation, helping to shape a more dynamic and connected future.

Worldwide IT spending grows by 4.7 percent

According to Gartner, worldwide IT spending by 2023 will reach $4.7 trillion with a 4.3 percent increase over 2022. CIOs, always on the lookout for IT talent, are shifting spending to technologies that enable automation and efficiency to drive growth at scale with fewer employees.

Strong growth in the software segment has been observed this year as organizations are increasing utilization and reallocating spending toward core applications and platforms that support efficiency gains, such as enterprise resource planning (Erp) systems and customer relationship management (Crm) applications

Digital transformation is the global priority

According to International Data Corporation's (Idc) Worldwide Digital Transformation Spending Guide, digital transformation remains a global priority as value creation relies on the use of technology for processes, products, services and experiences. Global spending on digital transformation is expected to reach nearly $3.9 trillion in 2027, with a five-year annual growth rate of 16.1 percent. In 2023, the U.S. will account for 35.8 percent of global spending dedicated to Digital Transformation, a figure nearly matched by the Asia/Pacific region (including Japan and China) with a 33.5 percent share of spending. Europe, the Middle East and Africa (Emea) will account for 26.8 percent of global spending.

​Digitalization in Italy: cloud, AI, and blockchain are leading the way

Digital continues to make progress in Italy as well: according to Anitec-Assinform, the Confindustria association of companies operating in the production of software, systems and electronic equipment and the provision of application and network solutions, the Italian market achieved growth of 2.4 percent in 2022, with a total value of 77.1 billion euros. The largest increase was in ICT Services (+8.5 percent and 14.8 billion euros), mainly supported by Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity services. Cloud continues the growth trend (+24% and 5.2 billion euros) and is confirmed as one of the main enabling technologies for digital transformation and business model innovation. Artificial Intelligence (+32 percent and 435 million euros) and Blockchain (+28 percent and 42.5 million euros) also grew at very high rates. Big data management solutions (+14 percent and 1.5 billion euros), which are essential for organizing and managing the architecture of the information assets of enterprises and public institutions, and Cybersecurity platforms (+14 percent and 1.6 billion euros) also grew at double-digit rates. In 2023, growth stands at +3.1 percent, and next year it is expected to jump again to an estimated +4.3 percent.

Forecasts for the next three-year period (2024-2026) are geared toward even stronger growth of up to 4.5 percent and are based on the assumption of a lower impact of inflation and greater use of economic resources made available by the NRP for digitization. By 2026, nearly 92 billion euros of investment is expected to be reached.

However, one glaring critical issue remains: the shortage of digital skills and the heterogeneity in technology diffusion across business size classes and between territories. ​​