The Municipality Transition Index and Its Impact on Higher Education Institutions' Attractiveness in Italy

Alessio Muscillo , Universitas Mercatorum
Angelo Facchini, IMT Lucca
Gabriele Lombardi, University of Florence
Alessandro Rubino, University of Bari

This paper investigates the role of the twin transition (green and digital) in attracting students to higher education institutions (HEIs) in Italy. We use a novel composite indicator called Municipality Transition Index (MTI) to measure the twin transition score in each municipality and its potential economic strength and entrepreneurship and innovation potential. We combine the dimensions of the MTI (Digitalization; Energy, resources and climate; Mobility; and Waste) with data from Italian Student Register of Ministry of University (MUR), and data on economic activities at sector level from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) to model and disentangle two different paradigms: traditional measurements of students’ flows and universities’ attractiveness, and the estimated change when the MTI is accounted for. By segmenting the mobility of the students engaged in HEIs involved in sectors and disciplines relevant for the smart specialization agenda, we can identify the differentiated impact that the twin transition can play in regions experiencing significant deviations (both positive and negative) from long-term trends of students’ mobility. The study aims to contribute to the development of Smart Specialisation strategies and the attractiveness of regions and universities alike.

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 Presented in Session P8. Demographic Trends, History, Data and Methods