Digitalization and contextual factors in Emilia-Romagna municipalities: A cluster and poset based approach

The degree of digitalization has increased in several sectors across Europe, especially since the Covid- 19 pandemic crisis. To encourage this process, a lot of funds have been allocated in the Recovery and Resilience Plan. As the literature shows, implementing digitalization is important for improving development and quality of life. However, digital in itself is not a determinant of development. It is necessary to consider the relationships between it and the various factors with which it must coexist, such as institutional framework, human and organizational capital. The study aims to analyze the territory of Emilia-Romagna through the indicators of digitalization and development of complementary factors. A cluster analysis and a poset methodology are proposed to identify municipal areas where this link is present or needs to be strengthened. It turns out that there is a correlation between the level of digitalization and the development of complementary factors. The municipalities where this relationship is strongest are in the top 10 of the ranking and are classified as urban poles, according to SNAI classification. The region is characterized by strong spatial differences between and within clusters. A policy suggestion also emerges: action is needed for municipalities that score low in only one dimension, especially if that dimension is an impact factor among those identified in the sensitivity analysis.