"The Information and Communication Technology sector in Apulia is in full recovery. After the 2.4% decline recorded in 2020, the Apulian digital market – valued just under three billion – is regaining ground, resuming the steady growth seen in recent years. Despite the difficulties companies face in finding all the specific professionals, whom the university system can only partially train, the upward trend has resumed. As demonstrated by the results of Exprivia, active in ICT and listed on the MTA market of the Milan Stock Exchange, in the first quarter, the revenue of this big player – total revenues in 2020 at 167.8 million, 2,400 professionals distributed in 7 countries worldwide – grew by 5.4% compared to the same period in 2020, rising from 38 to 41 million. Profitability has grown and continues to grow, which in 2020 was 12.7 percent. 'Companies,' explains Gianni Sebastiano, Investor Relator of the group led by Domenico Favuzzi, 'are recovering profitability because they are revising their processes. The more digitalization you put into processes, the more you impact efficiency and costs: this is the great lesson of the pandemic.' The Apulian company aims to consolidate the growth recorded in recent months in all the markets in which it operates as a system integrator: public administration, banks, aerospace, local health, telemedicine." (from "Il Sole 24 ore" 28 June 2021) Indicate which of the following statements is not correct:
- Athe growth of the Apulian digital sector is due to, among other reasons, revisions in company processes.✓
- Bdespite shortages in the number of adequate professionals, the Apulian digital sector has recorded increased profitability over the past year.✓
- Cthe pandemic ensured the growth of the Apulian digital sector because companies in the sector transformed into digital companies.✓
- Dthe pandemic was one the factors that led to the digitalization of company processes.✓
- Ethe digitalization of company processes is one of the principle causes for the economic growth of the sector.✓
Correct answer: C
the pandemic ensured the growth of the Apulian digital sector because companies in the sector transformed into digital companies.
Full explanation
Key points
- Apulian ICT sector recovering after 2020 decline
- Growth hindered by shortage of trained professionals
- Exprivia revenue ↑ 5.4%, profitability ↑
- Gianni Sebastiano: "The more digitalization you put into processes, the more you impact efficiency and costs: this is the great lesson of the pandemic"
- Companies are revising processes; pandemic highlighted importance of digitalization
Analysis of the given options (We need to choose incorrect statement)
Option A: Correct: text explicitly mentions process revision improving efficiency and profitability.
Option B: Correct: text mentions shortage of professionals but also reports profitability growth.
Option C: Not correct: the pandemic highlighted the importance of digitalization, but it did not directly ensure growth or transform companies automatically. Growth was due to process revision and other factors.
Option D: Correct: text says "this is the great lesson of the pandemic," implying the pandemic pushed companies to digitalize.
Option E: Correct: process digitalization improves efficiency and profitability → contributes to growth.