ACADEMIA Letters

Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one

behind in the digital transformation journey
Cristina Lincaru

1 Dr.
Cristina LINCARU, FeRSA,2
National Scientific Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection (INCSMPS, Bucharest,
Romania)
ORCHID 0000-0001-6596-1820

Introduction
The new EU strategical cycle for 2021-2027 creates sustainability as the new paradigm
through a double transition: European Green Deal and digital transition. A European Green
Deal striving to be the first climate-neutral continent, where the EU economy is sustainable
(modern, resource-efficient and competitive) and where no person and no place is left behind.3
Bahn-Walkowiak et al. (2020) point out that the digital eco-innovation should be a “means
to reach a circular economy in Europe”. However, very important, the European Green Deal
is a place-based innovation for sustainability, the leadership development strategy for Europe
(McCann & Soete, 2020) A green, digital and innovative Europe are the critical priorities. On
1
Lincaru, C. (2020, October 26). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the
digital transformation journey [Online Webinar]. The Social Dimensions of Cohesion Policy Regional Stud-
ies Association’s Research Network on EU Cohesion Policy, Lisbon, Portugal. https://www.regionalstudies.org/
events/the-social-dimensions-of-cohesion-policy/
2
Fellowship represents a status within the RSA Regional Studies Association starting with 29.01.2020. RSA
Fellows are individual members who have been permanent members for at least 5 years and who have also been
defined as “active members”.
3
https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Cristina Lincaru, cristina.lincaru@yahoo.de

Citation: Lincaru, C. (2021). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the digital
transformation journey. Academia Letters, Article 532. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL532.

1
15th December 2020, the EU launched the Cohesion policy legislative package 2021-2027
(European Comission, 2020). European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will continue
to support the Digital Agenda. (European Commission, 2020)
One of the main challenges is to avoid the harmful effects of disruption and to decrease
the polarisation creates by the Globalisation and 4.0 Industry Revolution “within and between
economies and societies”. (Schwab, 2019) The capacity to adopt digital transformation accel-
erates radical innovations (new technologies including Artificial Intelligence, automation, 3D
printing, sensors, robotisation et.) increase competitiveness and growth. However, this new
technological wave, “brings dramatic disruptions, offering a unique and challenging perspec-
tive on regional transformation” (De Propris & Bailey, 2020). McCann (2019) found that the
“major differences in local productivity are a primary source of the geography of discontent,
and they are also a challenge to a country’s institutional and governance structures”.

Cohesion in the new sustainability framework

• What we want: Leave no one behind in the digital transformation journey

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, launched in 2015, marking a historical event.
All 193 UNDP member states pledge to ensure ‘no one will be left behind’ and to ‘endeavour
to reach the furthest behind first. Definition (UNDP, 2018, p.9) the leave no one behind pledge
demands explicit action to address the disadvantages, deprivations and discrimination related
to all five factors: Discrimination, Shocs&Fragility, Governance, Socio-Economic Status and
Geography. This new framework demand “explicit actions to end extreme poverty, curb in-
equalities, confront discrimination and fast-track progress for the furthest behind” (UNDP,
2018). UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strategies integrate these values
and guide countries to achieve them.
OECD (2018) put the idea of “leave no one behind” as central to achieving the 2030
Agenda. The Territorial Agenda 2030 (1st of December 2020) focus on Spatial Planning and
Territorial Development and Territorial Cohesion that integrate previous international and
European high-level documents, more as initiative (not as a strategy). (OECD, 2019, 2020)
provide a methodology to measure Digital Transformation in the digital economy. (Pellegrin
et al., 2018) The Digital Agenda and Cohesion Policy found that “Cohesion Policy should
concentrate where its added value is highest”.
• What is the problem: Geography of discontent?
Bond-Smith et al. (2018) stress that regional productivity patterns underpin national produc-
tivity and people’s prosperity. Electronic, social and public media shapes the “most people’s

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Cristina Lincaru, cristina.lincaru@yahoo.de

Citation: Lincaru, C. (2021). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the digital
transformation journey. Academia Letters, Article 532. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL532.

2
perceptions of their prosperity and quality of life” (McCann, 2020, p. 201)
McCann (2016) proves that “higher interregional inequality is associated with higher na-
tionwide interpersonal inequality”, as Siamese Twin.
Especially on Covid Pandemic states to adopt the social distance. More individuals have
no alternatives to access services for jobs, Finance, Commerce, Information &communica-
tion, and education Culture and Administration services, other than digital.
In short, we “think” that “no access” regardless of the service, but delivered in an updated
digital form is a measure of discontent on medium and even in the long term.

Objective, Data, Indicators, Discontent Index and Method

The objective is to Mapp the regional pattern of the EU28 potential discontent citizens,
under the risk of being left behind according to the 2030 Agenda framework. Looking at the
available data for cohesion in the ending strategical cycle 2014-2020, we build a Discontent
index based on a) transformative activities projected e-inclusion ESIF budgets at the regional
level to be fund (Foray, 2020) for the entire cycle; and the actual result b) the e-inclusion image
of individuals; c) People in the risk of poverty.
• Transformative activities
The SMART SPECIALISATION PLATFORM ESIF DIGITAL TOOL4 provide access to data
at NUTS 05 an NUTS 2 (coded as i) level for the e-Inclusion activity area in tree directions:
• Digital inclusion (D1i1);

• Digital skills and literacy (D1i2);

• Internet access & accessibility (D1i3).

Data represent the ESIF’s (ERDF, CF, ESF, YEI and EAFRD) projected budgets for CE
Projects by the regions 2014-2020 on “planned investments in ICT”.
A major limit to model these data is the variability of NUTS2 version for some country’s
durian the analysed period (i.e. France).
These indicators build the Subindex of No Transformative activities in the region (n),
respective zero budget for the analysed area (IN THE PERIOD 2014-2020).
D1n: No – regions that do not have any project / planned e-inclusion ESIF 2014-2020
budgets at regional level (1) (Figure 1) (exception UK and DE)
4
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index.cfm/en/information and here: https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu
and on the corresponding ESF and EMFF sites
5
Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia where it is the national level

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Cristina Lincaru, cristina.lincaru@yahoo.de

Citation: Lincaru, C. (2021). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the digital
transformation journey. Academia Letters, Article 532. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL532.

3
 Figure 1. Source: made by author, ESRI shapefile, ARC GIS

• e-inclusion image of individuals

This second block of indicators, uses the ESPON definition for e-inclusion image of individ-
uals (INSPIRE indicators, shares) at NUTS 2 level and cover:
• Individuals who have never used a computer [TGS00051]: (D2i1);

• Individuals who ordered goods or services over the internet for private use [TGS00052:
(D2i1);

• Individuals who used the internet for interaction with public authorities [ISOC_R_GOV_I]:
(D2i1),
These indicators build the Subindex D2n: No e-inclusion image of individuals, in the regions
(n) where (Figure 1), represents the share of individuals that:
D2n1 - never used computer in 2017
D2n2- do not use e - commerce in 2019
D2n3 - do not use e - administration in 2019

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Cristina Lincaru, cristina.lincaru@yahoo.de

Citation: Lincaru, C. (2021). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the digital
transformation journey. Academia Letters, Article 532. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL532.

4
 • People in risk of poverty

The third block is the Eurostat data At-risk-of-poverty rate by NUTS 2 regions [TGS00103],
and build the subindex D3n: (Yes) at-risk-of poverty rate 2019. (Figure 1)

• Method

Pieńkowski & Berkowitz (2015) point the need to improve the Econometric assessments of
Cohesion Policy growth effects in the sense to be more relevant for policy makers.
We use Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) in ARC GIS, to illustrate overlay these
maps (McHarg, 1971) and analyse the spatial profile for the D1n, D2n and D3n. (Figure 1)
Discontent index and subindex build accordingly to (M. Mathew, 2018; S. A. Mathew &
Mariappan, 2014).

Results and discussions

The multidimensional measure of social cohesion evolves at the same time with data devel-
opment:

• Jenson, (2010, p.23) with the critical types of indicators for social cohesion:

1. social disparities dimension indicated by the access to financial resources, economic

activity, education & human capital, health, technology,

2. Diversity dimension: cultural and ethnic homogeneity;

3. participation and belonging: trust and participation &solidarity

• Garroway & Jütting (2011) identify as key dimensions: social exclusion, social capital
and social mobility

• The 2019 EU Cohesion Monitor integrate two main dimensions

1. People’s experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and well being

2. Structural cohesion describes countries ‘connections and practices within the EU;

Berger-Schmitt (2000) conclude that the concept of social cohesion is mainly two-goal di-
mensions:

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Cristina Lincaru, cristina.lincaru@yahoo.de

Citation: Lincaru, C. (2021). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the digital
transformation journey. Academia Letters, Article 532. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL532.

5
 1. The reduction of disparities, inequalities and social exclusion;

2. The strengthening of social relations, interactions and ties.

Our main contribution is that the discontent people measure the new vulnerable and
marginalised people, at risk to left behind in the digital transformation. Therefore, ac-
cess to the digital transformation at territorial is a stepping stone in social cohesion mea-
surement success.
The Maps (Figure 2) has the potential, to serve to re-connect discontent “citizens, that feel
increasingly disenfranchised and disconnected with high-level governance and policy-making
narratives “ (Dijkstra et al. 2019) 2030 Territorial Agenda’s e-inclusion indicators under the
digital transformation background and the indicators from the Sustainable Development
Goals (4.4.1; 5.b.1; 9.c.1 and 17.8.1) offer a useful insight regarding the re-evaluation of
severe material deprivation measurement. (see Annex)
Measuring and delivering social inclusion under the digital transformation have to take in
consideration that “the first-level digital divide – that remains a universal problem,…while
new material divides appear as a result of rapidly changing technology” (van Deursen & van
Dijk, 2019)

Conclusion
The digital gap is at the territorial level, and the speed of catching up is much slower than
the speed of technological change. The System of social cohesion indicators needs to be
updated accordingly to the digital economy demands, in the new place-based innovation for
sustainability paradigm.
Cohesion goals are feasible if “digital transformation” will function everywhere and for
everybody, anytime.

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Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Cristina Lincaru, cristina.lincaru@yahoo.de

Citation: Lincaru, C. (2021). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the digital
transformation journey. Academia Letters, Article 532. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL532.

6
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Citation: Lincaru, C. (2021). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the digital
transformation journey. Academia Letters, Article 532. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL532.

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Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Cristina Lincaru, cristina.lincaru@yahoo.de

Citation: Lincaru, C. (2021). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the digital
transformation journey. Academia Letters, Article 532. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL532.

8
Annex

Academia Letters, May 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Cristina Lincaru, cristina.lincaru@yahoo.de

Citation: Lincaru, C. (2021). Measuring and delivering social inclusion: Leave no one behind in the digital
transformation journey. Academia Letters, Article 532. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL532.