The National Strategic Hub - in Italian, Polo Strategico Nazionale - is the core component of Italian PA digitalization for the next years. In practice, it will be the almost exclusive PA cloud infrastructure, where all the most crucial (and privacy-sensitive) online public services will be hosted. Once PSN will be operative, there will be little space for other cloud providers wanting to offer services to government agencies. Being a part of PSN is therefore very important for all the organizations aiming at doing business with central and local authorities.

Now, four important entities have officially declared their interest in creating the PSN. Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (through the subsidiary CDP Equity), Leonardo, Sogei and TIM, as the promoter entity, have jointly presented a proposal for a public-private partnership for the creation of the PSN. If awarded, the initiative would involve setting up a NewCo with a 20% stake to be held by CDP, 25% by Leonardo, 10% by Sogei and 45% by TIM.

The new company will have all the necessary industrial expertise to provide the services (also by gaining expertise from its members) and will make the investments needed for creating the technological infrastructure.

The project will involve economic operators of primary importance in technological and digital services with the aim of pooling the best expertise and the most advanced national and international technologies, also collaborating with Cloud Service Providers and leading technology suppliers, which will be managed according to the principles of sovereignty established by the regulation.

Specifically, as industrial partners: TIM will provide infrastructure services and cloud platforms; Leonardo will provide security services; Sogei will provide business culture enablement and training services to boost the growth and expertise of the PA; CDP Equity will act as the financial partner and institutional investor supporting initiatives with significant development prospects in key sectors for the country. Together, the industrial partners will provide end-to-end migration services and support PA with professional evolution services (re-platform and re-architect).

Through the partners, the NSH will have Tier IV data centres (four data centres in two Italian regions), with high levels of security and energy efficiency, and will furthermore provide comprehensive and advanced services with a particular focus on cloud solutions. The PA will be supported throughout the pre- and post-contract phases, including in terms of staff training.