Italy Information Technology National Strategic Hub Cloud Services
Digitalization of the public administration sector is a key priority in Italy. In order to accelerate Italy’s digital transformation, the Italian government launched the Polo Strategico Nazionale (National Strategic Hub – PSN) in December 2022 to host the critical and strategic data of the country’s public administration entities. The goal of the PSN is for 75 percent of government offices to use cloud services by 2026. Beginning in 2023, nearly 300 central public administration and healthcare entities will migrate their data and services to the PSN and will be able to access dedicated funds for digitalization (over EUR 900 million) available through the government’s post-pandemic National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
The Agency for Digital Italy (AGID), a high-level technical agency tasked with digital coordination and innovation, estimates that there are over 10,000 data centers of various sizes and capacities, managed by over 20,000 public administration entities in Italy. The highly fragmented public administration information systems need to transition towards a more flexible use of technologies, in order that public services can adapt to the evolving needs of citizens and businesses. The consolidation of the public administration IT infrastructure will involve a mass migration of services currently provided in the traditional manner to a new cloud environment.
In August 2022, a consortium of Italian companies, including TIM (Italian telco), Leonardo (aerospace, defense, and security company), state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), and state-owned IT company Sogei, was awarded the tender for design, construction, and management of the PSN to provide cloud services to the public administration. Four data centers (located in Acilia and Pomezia in Lazio, and Rozzano and Santo Stefano Ticino in Lombardy) will be used to host the data and ensure the reliability and security of the country’s strategic assets. As of January 19, 2023, the National Cybersecurity Agency of Italy (ACN) is in charge of qualifying cloud services and establishing technical standards and data control measures for the cloud infrastructures.
U.S. tech companies are playing a key role in the digital acceleration of the public administration and Italian companies, not only by developing high-tech data centers in Italy, but also by offering advanced technologies and services for productivity, security, cloud, and process automation.
While it is recognized that the cloud offers the best defense against cyberattacks, the current Italian, and European, cloud market cannot satisfy the demand for cloud-related products and services, both in terms of quantity and quality. For this reason, Italian public administration entities and local companies are seeking to work with national and international partners that can provide cloud technology and services that best meet their operational needs. The latest technological solutions and services are required to guarantee trust and transparency for sensitive data management.
U.S. firms are encouraged to contact the U.S. Commercial Service for information on evolving EU and Italian digital legislation as well as opportunities in the IT and digital sector in Italy. U.S. exporters should contact Commercial Specialist Elisa Martucci (elisa.martucci@trade.gov).