Annabella Lattarulo (p)

Mario D Avino

When we examine the development of the South, we are faced with a mysterious conundrum, especially when it comes to sustainable development, as it implies a strong responsibility to future generations to maintain a complex ecosystem for years to come.
Despite the progress achieved in recent years, there remains, on closer inspection, a large regional performance gap.
The levels of expenditure earmarked for investment in key sectors are always significantly higher in the Centre-North than in the South. The most significant gaps between the two macro-areas concern essential services: social policies, labour, health, infrastructure networks, mobility, to which must be added the critical issues related to the efficiency of the administrative-institutional system.
These aspects strongly influence overall productivity and in their analysis lies one of the keys to solving the development conundrum.
Additional resources, large funds and projects to close the large productivity gaps will not be sufficient to produce lasting effects for future generations without the accumulation of civic capital, cooperation, institutional efficiency and effectiveness, and without manoeuvres specifically dedicated to reducing the unemployment rate.
Youth unemployment in Italy and the European Union continues to be a significant challenge, especially following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the proportion of unemployed young people reached an all-time high of 29.3 per cent.
Since then, the government has implemented various initiatives and programmes to curb the problem, but despite the efforts undertaken to improve the situation, young people still continue to face difficulties in entering the labour market and building a solid career.
Tackling youth unemployment requires an integrated and targeted approach involving governments, institutions, the private sector and civil society.
It is necessary to start as soon as possible with programmes that include investment in training and vocational education, promotion of youth entrepreneurship, facilitation of the school-to-work transition and access to apprenticeships and in-company internships, and increased supply/opportunities for quality work.
More and more young people are leaving Italy in search of work abroad.

Angelo Lucarella (p)

Annabella Lattarulo

The generational issue is the crucial point on which public and sustainable development policies (at European, State and regional level) will have to focus in the future.
The reasons are:
- the birth rate;
- the concentration of human settlements in the respective depressed and non-depressed areas;
- the type of uneven economic growth in the community area;
- the political models of national states and internal regions;
- the differentiated tax structures within the European Union;
- the 2030 Agenda which must be respected;
- the pressing climatic dimension;
- the quality of life at working, environmental and psychosocial level.
These combined factors (not exhaustive) are metrics of the current human condition and echo a fundamental problem: how to restore qualitative hope of life to the new generations.
In the concept of "qualitative hope" at least three conditioning elements must be taken into consideration:
- the density of land occupation (determines, in fact, the ecological quality of a territory environmentally experienced by human beings);
- the ability to (non) exploit energy (means rethinking the "domestic survival" model of consumption and development underlying it);
- psychosocial tension in regional dimensions (is the one to pay attention to in terms of "beginning-end relationship" in the sense that these tensions must be taken into due consideration as they are the basis of the choice of public policies which, at the same time, implies developing a new model of economic development on a very ontological direction: the homogeneous capacity of growth to become truly communal).
In this evaluative set of things, the new generations are protagonists of the programmatic nature of the European rules and of the most widespread constitutional principles in the territory of the European Union.
There is, however, a void of legislative activism with respect to the programmatic action mentioned above: first of all the repopulation of depressed and not yet developed areas with the same scope in the European Union area.
Main reason why the repopulation of territories must be rethought with the idea of a double track: birth rate policies and facilitation of settlement.
In all this, a complementary piece should not be forgotten: how to effectively integrate the migratory masses who, generationally speaking, can only be directed towards a social dimension that smacks of a challenge to the future.
Data OECD, OEC, etc. they will support the whole topic.

Sara C. Santoriello (p)

Angelo Lucarella

Sustainable development is about improving life experiences. The phenomenon of intellectual migration has emptied several southern Italian contexts in favour of the northern European area. The Millennium generation has suffered more than any other from this process of estrangement from their native places and the consequent depletion of human resources necessary to ensure forms of consociativism among non-profit sector and community-driven initiatives. There is flourishing of various cultural festivals in inner and peri-urban areas and it seems to be a generational response aimed at reversing this trend as an opportunity for local development, aimed at offering a better choice for those who must decide to leave or not, building a legacy for next generations. The case of MAC fest - Festival of Music, Arts and Culture is interesting in several respects. The festival was born in 2019 in Cava de' Tirreni (Campania, Italy) and feeded by young people belonging to Gen Y and Z (the cohort between 1993 and 2003), most of whom emigrated to Northern Italy for study and work reasons. During the summer, they experience the organisational process as a way to come back, a voluntary service and the need to fill the void of cultural offers as well. MAC fest benefits only from private contributions (sponsors and donations) and it is entirely free of charge. What is interesting is the mechanism of drawing up and publishing a “Socio-economic impact report”, through which organisers measure the cultural demand trend before and after the Festival and its effects in terms of participants' wealth and motivation. The research crosses several lines, questioning: the role of Millennials in the production of cultural events; the impact of non-profit festivals in terms of social innovation; the value-creation associated with the attraction of tourism and the promotion of emerging professionals linked to the world of art, music and culture.

Giovanna Lusini (p)

Sara C. Santoriello

This research inserts in the studies dedicated to interpreting the causes and consequences of the economic and social gaps existing between the different European regions. The theoretical framework conjugates both the literature on regional development, Deindustrialization Studies, and Transition 4.0.

According to the estimates of the European Cohesion reports (2019, 2020, 2021) the less developed regions such as Italy have regressed: in 2019 the GDP per capita of the "South" returned to the level of the first years after the Second World War. Several authors attribute this failure to the inefficiency of the Cohesion Policies, attributable to both endogenous and exogenous causes: the first (endogenous) consists of the lack of skills at the administrative level and ineffective coordination in the institutional supply chain which does not allow the PECs to be implemented effectively. In addition, it occurs the demographic decline, youth migration, and conditions of abandonment and neglect especially in the most marginal areas of less developed territories. The second (exogenous) are due to the effects of hyper-globalization, premature deindustrialization, exacerbated by the succession of crises: financial (2007), pandemic (2019), environmental and energy later to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict (2021).

In this context, the inner areas of the less developed regions of the EU have suffered the phenomenon of young migration (within and outside national borders) which is strictly related to the lack of job opportunities. The process of ‘deindustrialization has transformed European economies leaving the disadvantaged areas in a 'premature deindustrialization' whose effects have impacted on the reduction of the employment rate, in the main industrial sectors, such as manufacturing.

In this line, some authors emphasize the phenomenon of back-shoring, according to which several European companies in the manufacturing sector choose to return or reinvest in their home country. According to the authors, among the most determining factors, is the influence and incentive of the new European industrial policies in pursuing Transition 4.0, which is also defined as the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

For these reasons, the scientific hypothesis suggests that the process of Transition 4.0 could affect the youth employment rate in disadvantaged areas. Through the analysis of a Case Study, this research investigates such potential impact on the recovery of the loss of jobs and know-how in the domestic sector. The expected result is to clarify this correlation and which are the determining factors of the potential return.

Donato Morea, Mario Tani, Andrea Mazzitelli (p), Gianpaolo Basile (p), Elisa Farinelli

Giovanna Lusini

Current issues, such as climate change and social and economic disparities, are complex and context-dependent, influencing several economic and social actors. In rural areas populated by micro-small and medium enterprises that, while having a lower risk than other companies, have less innovation and financial resources and capabilities, a local convenor could help support them to drive their social, environmental, and economic behaviours to safeguard natural resources, to answer for social community needs while fulfilling their economic goals. The Community-Led Local Development European Programme defined Local Action Groups as actors that help develop and grow local areas in social and economic fields. Authors analyse this role, highlighting that the convenor, focused on social and environmental issues, can stimulate the changing of the traditional business model in the social business model characterised by the business ambidexterity involved in producing economic value that is also relevant to answering community needs. The authors have studied the effectiveness of a Local Action Group in its convenor role for local actors’ behaviours on economic, social, and environmental themes. The research uses social network analysis to extract the network’s backbone linking 150 local area entrepreneurs according to their perception of the local area's main weaknesses. The results are twofold; on the one hand, they highlight that the Local Action Group can be seen as an effective convenor and, on the other hand, its activities are instrumental in improving local area stakeholders’ performance.

Giovanni Spatola (p)

Gianpaolo Basile

This study aims to explore how greater adoption of remote work can help revitalize employment levels and economic prospects in rural areas while supporting sustainability goals.

While rural communities have faced challenges of depopulation and lack of opportunities, the rise of remote work during the pandemic opened new possibilities. By analyzing current remote work trends and barriers/enablers, this research contributes insights on how rural regions can better position themselves to attract more digital nomads and remote employees.

Both primary and secondary data will be collected and analyzed. An online survey will gather perspectives from current remote workers on location preferences, lifestyle desires, and employer/community support needed. Publicly available statistics on broadband access, housing costs, and existing remote-friendly initiatives in sample rural communities will also be reviewed.

Preliminary findings indicate many remote workers value lower costs of living and closer proximity to nature found in rural settings. However, lack of reliable high-speed internet and social isolation are key deterrents. By addressing these gaps, rural communities may see remote work as a path to sustainability by increasing and diversifying their employment base without major infrastructure development—reducing environmental impacts while boosting local economies. Potential policy recommendations and best practices for rural regions will be discussed.

Mario D Avino (p)

Giovanni Spatola

This research aims to explore the role of games and technologies in fostering social and territorial development in the pedagogical and sociological context.

The use of games and technology as teaching tools can be an opportunity to stimulate student learning, collaboration, and active participation. Games can be used as a means of imparting knowledge and skills to young people, making the learning experience more engaging and effective.

In addition, the use of technologies can facilitate access to education and reduce territorial inequalities by allowing students in remote or disadvantaged areas to participate in educational programs through digital platforms or mobile applications.

From a sociological point of view, games and technologies can foster social integration and the inclusion of individuals belonging to different cultural or social groups. Through collaborative play experiences, mutual understanding, cooperation, and respect for differences can be promoted.

In addition, technologies can provide tools for data collection and analysis, allowing for a better understanding of the needs of local communities and designing more effective socio-educational interventions. The use of analytics and algorithms can provide useful information for the design of specific interventions, adapted to the needs of different territorial contexts.

In conclusion, the use of games and technologies in the pedagogical and sociological context can play an important role in social and territorial development. Further research and experimentation is needed to fully understand the potential of these resources and develop innovative and sustainable approaches to improve the quality of education and promote social cohesion in local communities.