Engineering and Lutech, leading Italian companies in digital transformation processes for the public and private sectors, have established the "Digital Alliance for Italy", an open partnership aimed at accelerating the country's digitalization by leveraging the resources of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

While maintaining their autonomy and independence, these two Italian companies, which together employ over 20,000 technology specialists worldwide, will pool their extensive market knowledge and ensure the application of the best management principles in terms of technical, qualitative, and economic standards.

On May 21 2024, the Digital Alliance for Italy was promoted at the Department for Digital Transformation during a meeting between Maximo Ibarra, CEO of the Engineering Group, and Giuseppe Di Franco, CEO of the Lutech Group, with Alessio Butti, Undersecretary for Technological Innovation, and Serafino Sorrenti, Chief Innovation Officer at the Presidency of the Council and Advisor to the Undersecretary. The meeting provided an opportunity for an initial operational step and an exchange of ideas with the Undersecretary regarding the proposals and projects of the new legal entity formed by the two companies.

As the two CEOs explained to the Undersecretary, Engineering and Lutech are committed to jointly supporting the country's digitalization process through projects aimed at modernizing the systems and production processes of the Public Administration and nationally significant private entities. The initiative will also involve developing collaborations with research institutions, innovative start-ups registered in the national registry, specialized SMEs, and technology partners, with the mission of orchestrating project assignments and ensuring their success.

"We are living in a historical phase where it is increasingly essential to create partnerships among various productive entities, aimed at supporting the economic and sustainable development of the country through the vast potential of digital technologies. In Italy, we have the skills and resources to play a significant role in the digital market and to support the country's economic growth. The Alliance we are promoting with Lutech, designed and intended to be open to other operators as well, aims to serve as an enabler among Italian companies capable of accelerating Italy's digital transformation. For this reason, I hope it can serve as an example for all industrial entities ready to pool together skills and knowledge, to jointly design and implement innovative projects that can deliver real benefits to people”. - Maximo Ibarra, CEO of the Engineering Group

"The Digital Alliance for Italy will provide thousands of information technology professionals, equipped with the most advanced skills and experiences, to support the digital programs of the PNRR, ensuring their timely implementation. The collaboration between the Italian companies Engineering and Lutech, open to third parties, will contribute to the digital transformation of society, with the goal of creating tangible effects on the development of the economy and citizen services". - Giuseppe Di Franco, CEO of the Lutech Group

The Alliance's activities will focus on broad thematic areas that synthesize the strengths and expertise of Engineering and Lutech, while also representing key priorities for Italy:

• Water: a matter of serious national emergency affecting every productive sector, civil society, and health, driven by climate change;
• Energy: a critical production factor for our manufacturing and importing system, to be guided in the transition towards decarbonization;
• Infrastructure: for the digital components connected to investments in the country's mobility, transport, and logistics networks;
• Productivity and Artificial Intelligence: addressing not only economic development but also the significant demographic challenges impacting all productive sectors;
• Security: to protect against the increased exposure of digital systems to cyberattacks, which have been noted for their rising frequency and severity in recent years.

From a legal standpoint, the Alliance will operate in accordance with the network contract, under the guidance of a collegial control and coordination body appointed by the two promoting entities. This body is tasked with managing, on behalf of the participants, the execution of any contracts signed with the contracting authorities.

The Alliance is designed as an open initiative, welcoming companies not operating in the IT sector that are undergoing digital transformation and that, through their skills and capabilities, can contribute to the achievement of the initiative's programmatic goals.