Umbria faces patent gap despite high digital technology adoption

An analysis by the Umbria Chamber of Commerce reveals a significant gap between the region's digital technology adoption and its ability to generate proprietary innovation through patents. While Umbria shows strength in certain digital sectors, its patent output per capita remains less than half of the Italian national average between 2019 and 2024.

Data indicates that 15.3% of Umbrian companies with at least 10 employees utilize artificial intelligence, a figure comparable to the national average of 16.4%. The region also outperforms the national average in data analytics (46% vs 42.7%) and the use of intermediate or sophisticated cloud services (70.3% vs 68.1%). However, basic digitalization lags behind, with a rate of 73.8% compared to Italy's 79.8%.

The report highlights a structural weakness in transforming technological use into industrial property. Regional patents are primarily concentrated in civil engineering, consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals, while digital communication and information technologies are described as “substantially absent.” Furthermore, research funding remains fragmented, with 70% of projects receiving less than 50,000 euros.