In an era marked by rapid technological advances, public sector entities face unique challenges and significant opportunities in their digital transformation. This track explores the complex interactions between digital initiatives and government contexts, highlighting both legal, environmental, and data management risks, as well as benefits such as operational efficiency and improved accessibility. The analysis extends to socio-economic impacts such as the digital divide and the critical role of economic policies and political decisions in shaping outcomes.
The legal and compliance framework, marked by data privacy concerns, security mandates, and the management of cross-border data flows, presents both challenges that require rigorous attention. At the same time, the digitization of public services, while beneficial, comes with significant environmental risks, such as increased energy consumption and e-waste generation. These aspects require the adoption of sustainable practices for the lifecycle management of digital technologies.
In terms of data protection and management, the security of sensitive public sector information is imperative. In fact, this process makes it necessary to strengthen the security and privacy infrastructure, especially in cases where citizens should input and share sensitive data and information. In addition, they should be aware of the accessibility and traceability of data as well as of the cyber risks associated with new fraudulent and abusive access methods.
Robust data governance frameworks are essential to maintain data integrity and public trust. At the same time, the need for inclusive digitalization is critical to avoid widening existing disparities between different social groups, a topic explored in many studies on the digital divide.
Opportunities offered by digitalization include the optimization of processes to reduce operational costs and improve response to citizens, increasing access to public services through digital platforms that reduce physical and temporal barriers. This translates into improved governance and greater transparency, with the use of data and advanced analytics to refine policy decision-making and planning.
This track aims to foster a multidisciplinary dialogue between academics, practitioners and policy makers for a deeper understanding of how public sector organizations can navigate the complexities of digitalization responsibly and effectively.

Benedetta Coluccia, Pegaso University, Italy
Roberta Barbieri, University of Salento, Italy
Marco Chironi, University of Salento, Italy