Job Digital Lab: a report on the regional event in Foggia
The event Governare l'innovazione was held at the Foggia Chamber of Commerce, marking a key stop on the Job Digital Lab tour designed to support Apulian businesses and professionals in navigating the challenges of the digital age.
Moving from ‘automatic’ digitalisation to one that is truly conscious. This is the objective that brought the Job Digital Lab programme, conceived by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale in collaboration with ING Italia, to the heart of Puglia. The Foggia event, organised with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and the Digital Enterprise Hub, brought together experts, entrepreneurs and freelancers to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming work and local development.
Bridging the skills gap
Although AI adoption in Italy has doubled in a year, the South still has an adoption rate of 12.2%, compared to 19.3% in the North-West. The main obstacle is not the technology, but the lack of skills for 60% of businesses. “Digital education today means teaching people to question the technologies we use every day: to understand why we use them, to do what, and with what consequences,” explains project manager Francesca Meini.
From theory to day-to-day practice
The highlight of the event was the training session led by Antonio Mariggiò, a trainer at The Vortex, who demonstrated practical applications of AI for the automation of office processes and the creation of creative content. ‘Fondazione Mondo Digitale is always attentive to all things innovation, and today we are demonstrating that here in Foggia,’ commented Mariggiò, emphasising how AI can bring immediate value in areas ranging from administration to marketing.
Voices from the region: AI is already the present
The value of the initiative was attested to by key figures in the local economy. Maria Antonietta Lisi, an accountant from Foggia, offered a clear-sighted perspective on the paradigm shift: "We young people are very keen because we know that tomorrow we will be the prompt managers, that is, those who will give commands to AI to help us in our work. We must not fear it or underestimate it, but learn to harness it according to our needs. Many people still think that AI is the future; in reality, it is the present".
The world of self-entrepreneurship also found a place with the start-up Emma, founded by Sabino Ammollo (an innovative farmer) and Giovanni Niro (a telecommunications engineer). Their app uses generative AI to create personalised recipes for people with food intolerances, whilst promoting local, zero-mile products. “EMMA was born precisely on the wave of generative artificial intelligence, which offers huge opportunities,” explained the founders, emphasising how the technology can improve daily life and encourage sustainable trade.
For Gianluca, a consultant in the energy sector, the event was crucial for finding his bearings in a “vast world” where the solutions offered by AI “will certainly be useful for our business in the future”.
A commitment that continues
With over 38,000 people trained since 2020, Job Digital Lab continues its mission of inclusion. The event in Foggia confirmed that innovation is not a process to be passively endured, but a strategic choice that requires continuous training and a clear vision of one’s objectives.
