Vincenzo Sivero, a guest on “Roma de core”, talks about the work being done in the city’s boroughs, schools and suburbs.
What does it really mean to make the digital transformation accessible? It means being present in the places where people live, study and access public services, offering support that meets their immediate needs whilst, at the same time, helping them to become self-reliant.
This is the topic addressed by Vincenzo Sivero, project manager at the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS, who was a guest on the radio programme Roma de core, hosted by Luca Bedini on Radio Core de Roma (15 July, from 11.15 to 12.15, 99.800 FM). Also in the studio was Riccardo Corbucci, a member of the Capitoline Assembly and chair of the Rome Capital, Statute and Technological Innovation Committee.
During the programme, which focused on education, training, inclusion and digital citizenship, Sivero spoke about the work of the Digital Facilitation Centres, local hubs set up to support people in accessing the public administration’s online services. These helpdesks, which also operate within municipal registry offices, help citizens navigate digital identity, administrative procedures and public platforms, with an aim that goes beyond simply solving individual problems: to build skills and make each person progressively more independent.
“The digital facilitation service is not intended to carry out a procedure on behalf of the citizen, but to support them,” explained Sivero. In around two years, the Foundation has supported over 50,000 people, addressing a wide range of needs. Experience on the ground shows that the digital divide does not only affect older people: even young families and people accustomed to using smartphones and apps on a daily basis can encounter difficulties in accessing services effectively and exercising their digital rights.
The conversation also touched on the issue of educational poverty and the role of the Innovation Hubs, spaces set up in schools and on the outskirts of towns to introduce children, young people, families and citizens to technology. Coding, robotics, digital fabrication and creativity become tools for enhancing the human capital of local communities and building connections between schools, universities, communities and the world of work.
Sivero also highlighted the educational programme that the Foundation runs for schools every year, engaging pupils, teachers and families on topics such as digital citizenship, cyberbullying, artificial intelligence and the responsible use of technology. This educational community now comprises around 800 schools and over 50,000 pupils.
At the heart of his speech was a clear vision: innovation creates value when it becomes accessible and when people are empowered to understand, use and manage it. Proximity, support and continuous training are therefore essential parts of a city’s digital infrastructure, just as much as networks and technologies.
