The European Union is pursuing a re-industrialisation strategy aimed at enhancing economic resilience and accelerating digital and green transitions. Accordingly, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) and Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) initiatives are poised to reshape the European industrial landscape. However, there is no empirical evidence on where these technologies are located. This paper addresses this gap by systematically mapping STEP- and NZIA-related technology adoption among Italian firms. Using a web scraping analysis of over 6.5 million company webpages, we identify firms engaging with these two programmes and visualise their distribution at the municipal level. The results reveal 25,084 firms involved in the digital and net-zero transitions, with key hubs in Milan, Rome, Turin, Naples, Genoa and Bologna. We provide new insights into the geography of these transitions, highlight the distinctive traits of Italy’s industrial dynamics, and underscore the need for differentiated, place-sensitive policies to support a convergent trajectory toward Europe’s strategic development objectives.
Mapping strategic and net-zero emission technologies in Italy / Cucculelli, Marco; Giampaoli, Noemi; Renghini, Matteo. - In: REGIONAL STUDIES, REGIONAL SCIENCE. - ISSN 2168-1376. - STAMPA. - 13:1(2026), pp. 2637379.1-2637379.4. [10.1080/21681376.2026.2637379]
Mapping strategic and net-zero emission technologies in Italy
Marco Cucculelli;Noemi Giampaoli;Matteo Renghini
2026-01-01
Abstract
The European Union is pursuing a re-industrialisation strategy aimed at enhancing economic resilience and accelerating digital and green transitions. Accordingly, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) and Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) initiatives are poised to reshape the European industrial landscape. However, there is no empirical evidence on where these technologies are located. This paper addresses this gap by systematically mapping STEP- and NZIA-related technology adoption among Italian firms. Using a web scraping analysis of over 6.5 million company webpages, we identify firms engaging with these two programmes and visualise their distribution at the municipal level. The results reveal 25,084 firms involved in the digital and net-zero transitions, with key hubs in Milan, Rome, Turin, Naples, Genoa and Bologna. We provide new insights into the geography of these transitions, highlight the distinctive traits of Italy’s industrial dynamics, and underscore the need for differentiated, place-sensitive policies to support a convergent trajectory toward Europe’s strategic development objectives.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
