Quarta rivoluzione industriale e nuove geografie dello sviluppo e delle disuguaglianze in Italia

Fourth industrial revolution and new geographies of development and inequalities in Italy. The objective of this paper is to analyse the impact of the fourth industrial revolution, from two points of view: on the one hand, the ability of innovation and 4.0 Industry technologies to determine development dynamics and better accessibility conditions; on the other, the possibility that these technologies can amplify the differentials and territorial fractures. Starting from theoretical and empirical studies on the fourth industrial revolution, the work focuses attention on the Italian territory, combining the reading of the distribution of high-tech companies with that of some contextual components, which can facilitate or hinder the impact of advanced technologies. The picture prompts us to reflect on the definition of policies aimed at strengthening weak areas and reducing gaps.