Studies on the economic and social impacts of digitization date back to the 1980s and continue to this day ( Van Kruining, 2017 ). The advent of computers in the 1980s, followed by the expansion of the internet in the 2000s, and the development of information and communication technologies (ICT), gradually integrated technology into all aspects of society, particularly within businesses. These companies seek to expand globally, adopt online presences, establish extensive IT infrastructures, and invest in new communication tools to facilitate remote work for their employees worldwide ( Orlikowski & Scott, 2008 ).

The evolution of mobile technologies (4G and cloud computing), the emergence of new devices, connected objects, the rise of social media, big data management, as well as the growth of collaborative platforms, all signify the current peak of digital transformation ( Barlatier, 2016 ). In fact, due to their ubiquity and versatility, information and communication technologies (ICT) are considered both key elements of innovation and tools to activate essential internal resources or mobilize external resources in favor of innovation ( Cardona et al., 2013 ; Nambisan, 2013 ).

Numerous studies demonstrate a tangible link between the use or investment in information and communication technologies (ICT) and positive innovation outcomes. This was also identified in the works of Kleis et al. (2012) , where digital-related definitions were categorized into three main types:

Several tools have been mentioned in relation to digitalization, such as mobile technologies, also referred to as “human-machine interaction” ( Bucki, 2016 ), or social networks that enable the exchange of information and knowledge ( Schlesinger & Doyle, 2014 ), as well as cloud computing, which represents the hardware and systems providing services within data centers ( Armbrust et al., 2010 ).

At this stage, we can formulate the following proposition derived from the literature:

P1: Digitalization has become essential for ensuring the quality of services in local authorities. Its adoption facilitates the realization of their strategy, leading to beneficial changes in their organizations, resulting in substantial savings in time and money.

Each area or territory has its own unique appeal. Some countries, particularly developing ones, are disadvantaged in terms of geographical location and cultural, social, tourist, and economic environment, with a limited level of competitiveness. This raises several questions, notably: how can certain specific resources be enhanced? How can their potential for geographic development be measured? Tunisia’s location on the southern shore of the Mediterranean provides numerous examples of sandy coastlines bordering cities and tourist areas, and the consequences of the accelerated and sometimes hasty occupation of these coasts (Chebil et al., 2018 ). This competitive advantage must be taken into consideration. In what ways and under what conditions can companies establish collective intersectoral evaluation methods? How can we ensure the participation of a broad range of local actors? As a mobilizing factor for territorial exchanges, should we also identify and measure the sense of belonging of these actors to their territories?

All these questions are currently being raised within the framework of several social programs involving multinational companies, such as Orange’s engagement with civil society and the state. This helps consolidate knowledge in public and territorial exchanges in particularly threatened, disadvantaged, and vulnerable areas, allowing decision-makers to benefit from the results by implementing them in various fields. This involves the engagement of private companies in driving change with a focus on development.

Our research is part of an in-depth study of several public-private partnership projects adopted by Orange Tunisia in collaboration with various ministries. The goal is to generate interest in the role of public-private actors and territorial intelligence tools (IT) in favor of local development and to understand its impact.

The transition to a knowledge-based intangible economy makes information a crucial strategic lever, if not a lever of competitiveness. Moreover, in the face of the vast information brought by ICTs, mastering it becomes imperative.

Due to the many divergences that have emerged and been publicly discussed since 2011, Tunisia has recognized the need for a new model and a different development mechanism. Despite various policies aimed at opening up vulnerable and threatened areas, territorial imbalances not only deepen regional inequalities but also exacerbate the population’s sense of injustice.

Local development represents an opportunity for territories to emerge and become autonomous, enabling them to overcome the internal and external challenges they face. It is also considered an essential imperative for any region, involving a specific organizational strategy ( Greffe, 2002 ).

The diversification and enrichment of economic and social activities in a territory result from the mobilization and coordination of its resources and energies. Local development is a process that has emerged in marginalized territories, focusing on a collective drive to implement collaborative projects in a given growing area.

The key principles of this development are based on ( El Filali and El Moujadidi, 2022 ):

In summary, local development aims to strengthen social interaction by encouraging dialogue among the involved actors, allowing each party to express its opinions and debate territorial issues in their entirety. Ultimately, it relies on coherent strategies targeting social, cultural, and economic domains.

This goal leads to the preservation of social peace and the enrichment of development projects through the diversity of opinions, which enhances the quality of the results obtained. It also promotes strengthening the partnership between the public and private sectors, allowing for economies of scale and synergistic risk management. This partnership also offers the possibility of involving all actors in the process, benefiting from the private sector’s project management expertise, and ultimately mobilizing maximum resources for the effective execution of the planned programs.

In this regard, we propose the following propositions.

P2: The use of digital resources variably influences companies’ innovation capacity, depending on their geographical location and the collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Today, the transition to digitalization in public administrations is recognized as a major transformation in service delivery, enhancing the competitiveness of the public sector. Beyond procedural improvements, this evolution has also contributed to the better quality of life for local residents. These changes have had a positive impact on economic and social indicators, paving the way for ambitious community development opportunities.

According to El Filali and El Moujadidi (2022) , this transformation manifests in several ways:

We have concluded that digitalization plays a positive role in improving the effectiveness of local development projects and contributes favorably to social, economic, and cultural aspects at the territorial level.

In the next section, we will examine the current state of digital transformation within local authorities and companies involved in innovative public-private partnership projects.

Currently, local authorities in Tunisia are undergoing a digitization process aligned with the national digital transformation strategy. Tunisia joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiative in 2014 and is now engaged in its third national action plan, covering the period from 2018 to 2020 ( OECD, 2020 ). This plan revolves around four main areas: strengthening the right to information and promoting the openness of public data, encouraging transparency in the management of natural resources, promoting integrity, participatory approaches, and local governance, and improving the quality of public services. The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance citizen participation, also known as E-participation, is one of the levers that could strengthen overall citizen engagement. To this end, the Tunisian government has launched three E-participation platforms: e-people.tn, e-participation.tn, and legislation.tn. Concurrently, other initiatives have been launched by civil society ( OECD, 2020 ).

Tunisia’s goal was to create an environment conducive to citizen participation to promote participatory democracy, highlighting actions to support this strategy, including:

Moreover, Tunisia has committed to creating mechanisms to foster dialogue and interaction with the demands and concerns of young people, enabling them to monitor their implementation in public policies. Additionally, multinational companies like Orange Tunisia are making substantial efforts in digital transformation to support local authorities through innovative PPP projects in the ICT sector.

Studies in the field of innovation geography highlight persistent territorial disparities in innovation capacity. Typically, businesses located in urban areas with diverse sectoral structures are more inclined to innovate. Key factors supporting this include local knowledge externalities from both private and public research, the availability of public and private service infrastructures, the geographic concentration of human capital and its limited mobility ( Almeida & Kogut, 1999 ), as well as increased collaborations and face-to-face interactions ( Breschi & Lissoni, 2009 ). Furthermore, individuals integrated into a social environment, such as a region, often express attachment and solidarity towards their area. This involvement should act as a driver for job creation and serve as a mediation and proximity point between businesses and other institutional entities ( Chabaud & Maurand-Valet, 2016 ). However, previous studies by de Allefres (2007) and Kunnen & Bosma (2006) have shown that adopting standardized development policies, which overlook cultural specifics, is perceived as a threat to local identity. Setting identical objectives, developing similar strategies, implementing analogous actions, and promoting a uniform culture often lead to policy failure and public dissatisfaction. As highlighted by Bertacchini (2010) , cultural characteristics such as regional attachment, population needs, and their interaction within territorial intelligence are crucial at the regional level.

In the next section, we will discuss the chosen methodology to address our research question and present the survey framework used.

It seemed valuable to study innovation projects and understand the perceptions of project initiators regarding this phenomenon to address our propositions derived from the literature.

Orange leveraged its technological and innovative expertise to support digital access for all through the MOOC project. This partnership involved Orange Tunisia, supported by the Orange Foundation, as well as a public university and a private university. The project resulted in the creation of a platform for Tunisian students aiming to improve their French language skills, not only in Francophone Africa but also in other regions, to obtain language certification. The project was so successful that Orange decided to launch a second session of the MOOC.

The “Villages” Program is an initiative focused on sustainable and comprehensive local development, implemented with the support of the Orange Foundation in collaboration with civil society and local authorities. Its aim is to significantly improve the quality of life for residents of a village with three to five thousand people, focusing on the specific needs of young children and women. This includes promoting access to education, basic healthcare, water, as well as digital access and economic empowerment for women in the village, while ensuring access to energy.

After interviewing stakeholders involved in the studied projects from both the public and private sectors, it is evident that digitalization is a crucial factor in advancing territorial progress. Digital transformation has become unavoidable for several reasons, particularly due to the rise of citizen connectivity. Public sector experts have identified numerous benefits of digitalization for residents and local governments, including reducing ecological footprints, providing open data resources, stimulating territorial development, promoting economic growth, and improving the fluidity of information exchange.

These insights are supported by the significant growth of digital platforms in Tunisia in recent years. The country has experienced notable progress in the digital domain, including increased online services in various sectors such as e-commerce, online government services, digital finance, and social communication platforms. Initiatives have been launched to encourage innovation in the digital field, fostering the emergence of technology startups and strengthening Tunisia’s digital ecosystem.

Respondents agree that digital tools facilitate interaction between citizens and local governments by promoting more transparent and open governance. Moreover, digitalization has led to improved data management, resulting in a wealth of actionable information. This in-depth analysis enables valuable lessons to be drawn for optimizing public policies, anticipating citizen needs, and making informed decisions based on solid data. Another identified factor from the interviews is the optimization of public services. Digital transformation enhances public service management by making it more efficient, accessible, and tailored to individual needs. Examples include online payments, completing administrative procedures, real-time tracking of requests, and receiving instant notifications. This approach enhances user satisfaction while reducing processing times. In several sectors, such as education and cultural events, most operations are conducted online. One respondent noted that “all these platforms have doubled in recent years due to the global health crisis (COVID-19)” and the rise of telecommuting. Additionally, the modernization of work through automation and robotization in production processes aligns with Bos’s (2018) research.

These observations align with previous studies, such as Meiouet (2021) , which demonstrate that digital transformation is seen as a real catalyst for change and progress, providing equitable access to essential needs like education, health, and administrative services, while promoting economic and financial integration of rural and disadvantaged populations. Furthermore, particularly in the Tunisian context, successive governments since the revolution have recognized the benefits of this innovative development approach, which stands out from gradual changes and encourages constructive creation ( Ben Lahouel, 2019 ).

P1: Digitalization has become essential for ensuring the quality of local government services. Its adoption facilitates the achievement of these entities’ strategies, leading to beneficial changes in their organizations, resulting in substantial time and cost savings.

The objective of this study is to understand the impact of digital transformation on innovation in PPP projects and its influence on territories. It also aims to identify key success factors for digitalization, potential obstacles, and implications for expanding territories. Empirical observations have shown that digital transformation relies on various distinct but interdependent factors, and their absence can pose challenges. Furthermore, two individuals from the private sector highlighted the intention of leaders to invest in digital transformation, noting that this approach is linked to management style within the company. Specifically, it involves management based on mutual trust between leaders and their collaborators, as well as trust in technology. Another aspect discussed in the interviews with Orange Tunisia was the shift in entrepreneurial culture, based on establishing best practices and making sound decisions to enhance employee efficiency. However, public sector views diverge from those of the private sector. Respondents indicated that inherent obstacles to applying digital innovation include budget constraints, which are considered the main barrier, and the challenges associated with recruiting specialized skills on a case-by-case basis in certain fields. Additionally, local population needs vary significantly from one region to another due to various economic, social, and geographical factors. Respondents noted that the ecosystem is distinguished primarily by the diversity of stakeholders involved (institutions, private companies, and users) and the sectors concerned (tourism, education, transport, etc.). It was also highlighted that innovation does not depend on the geographical location of the company, whether evaluating ICT resources by the variety of tools used or by internal IT skills. The inseparable link between digitalization and innovation was unanimously supported by all respondents, demonstrating that digitalization has been used to foster innovation and respond more efficiently to needs. This involves implementing new digital practices that add value and improve how the company manages its activities. This aligns with Denervaud et al.’s (2014) work, which suggests that these two concepts, though currently not widely associated, share striking similarities and are based on three essential phases of any innovation process: observation and definition, careful examination of experience; imagination: creativity and design thinking; and prototyping and testing. Our second proposition also aligns with the literature, reflecting the contradictory opinions identified between public and private sectors.

P2: The use of digital resources influences the capacity for innovation in companies in varied ways, depending on their geographical location and the collaboration between the public and private sectors.

At this stage of the analysis, we identified that the common ground among respondents is that digitalization can have a significant impact on cohesion and innovation in territorial projects by improving communication, optimizing processes, enabling data collection and analysis, and fostering open innovation. Emerging trends in digital innovation in Tunisia include the development of technology startups, promotion of digital entrepreneurship, creation of innovation hubs and research centers, digitalization of public services, growth of e-commerce and mobile payments, and integration of digital technologies in traditional sectors such as agriculture and tourism.

Orange Tunisia, in addition to its numerous PPP projects for local development, has engaged with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on January 13, 2022, through a cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening their partnership to promote more sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development. This involves implementing a joint action plan with the goal of enhancing the local entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout the year, particularly in the regions of Gabès, Médenine, Tataouine, Gafsa, Tozeur, and Kébili. Each partner will contribute their expertise and mobilize their resources and programs, such as the Orange Digital Center ecosystem, Digital Houses, the UNDP Entrepreneurship for Development project, and the UNDP Tunisia Accelerator Lab.

Indeed, digitalization is not just about adopting tools and technologies; it represents a revolution in business and operational models, based on a shared and coherent vision. Despite the challenges in implementing such management processes and anchoring a digital and innovation-based policy according to the studied projects, it is essential for the community (local population and territorial actors) to fully support the state’s overall digitalization strategy and mobilize the necessary resources for its implementation. The success of such a national strategy will have positive effects on the entire territory.

Thus, our third and final proposition aligns with the literature:

P3: Digitalization of processes and the use of digital resources positively contribute to enhancing the innovation capacity of companies within territorial projects.

To summarize our main findings, we concluded that while there are several obstacles hindering the operation of these “PPP” based on digital innovation, effective management of digital resources has a significant impact on local and territorial development, particularly in the Tunisian context.