The annual session of the G20 Entrepreneurship Roundtable took place in Suzhou on 13 and 14 October. Inaugurated in 2016, these meetings aim to give the G20 countries the opportunity to interact with companies, incubators, and with exponents of the academic world.
The 2021 edition, dedicated to the theme “Reshape the paradigm of entrepreneurship and employment in the era of digital revolution”, also saw the significant participation of international organisations, in particular the ILO, the OECD, UN Women, the International Social Security Association, and the WEF. Speaking by videoconference as representatives of the Italian G20 Presidency were Minister Plenipotentiary Carmelo Barbarello, Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister of Labour and Social Policies and Chairman of the G20 Employment Group; Minister Plenipotentiary Dr. Maria Benedetta Francesconi, President of the Ministry of Economic Development G20 Digital Economy Task Force; and the Women 20 Sherpa, Dr. Martina Rogato.
Opening the proceedings, Minister Plenipotentiary Barbarello recalled “the increasing importance of the most innovative forms of work (remotely and via digital platforms). A dynamic” – he added – “that makes it necessary to adapt the regulations and social protection systems to the changes that are taking place on the global scale, which includes reducing inequalities in the labour market, such as gender inequality and female employment inequality: issues on which Italy has been particularly active in the G20 Presidency and to which we will continue to be attentive in 2022, as a member of the G20 Troika”.
The signs of the growing importance of digitalisation for businesses and in the labour market can be seen in two factors: the rapid growth of digital platforms, which provide low-cost services and greater mobility for workers, and the introduction of artificial intelligence into the labour market. On this last point, Dr. Francesconi recalled the importance of “increasing professional skills in the use of AI, but also of launching initiatives that facilitate access to data, and providing funding for the provision of technologies and innovative networks that can create a favourable environment for the introduction of AI for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises”.
