Exploring the Digital Divide in Europe

The first Steering Committee meeting of the DIGIREG project took place online today under the guidance of the ESPON officers.

One of the topics discussed was the role of proximity to infrastructures, which is widely considered to be strongly related to socio-economic development. Some key questions guided the effort put in place by the partners: To what extent is this specifically true for digital infrastructures? How does this relationship work? It is clear that both scientific and grey literature help map the most important phenomena characterizing this interplay. However, some answers to these questions can also be formulated by understanding the criteria adopted by digital companies when setting their nodes and locations.

At the start of the project, literature and data seem to clearly indicate that digital infrastructuring reinforces existing urban hierarchies and the prevailing dynamics serving the territories, leading the analysis to consider proximity as a reciprocating and multidimensional (not only digital) phenomenon. The digital transition is undoubtedly influencing the socio-economic development of European regions and territories. However, it is still not functioning perfectly as a strategy to reduce the digital divide.

👉 Learn more about ESPON and the DIGIREG project here