Another major research area of the laboratory concerns Network Economics, with a specific focus on the structure, evolution, and value creation mechanisms of the telecommunications ecosystem. This line of research investigates how technological innovation, regulatory frameworks, and competitive dynamics jointly shape business models and investment incentives across the different layers of the ecosystem. Building on systemic approaches, the research adopts concepts such as value networks, multi-sided markets, and layered ecosystem models to move beyond traditional linear value chains and capture the complex interdependencies among infrastructure providers, service operators, digital platforms, vendors, and vertical industries. Particular attention is devoted to understanding how value is generated and distributed across layers, and why growth increasingly concentrates in enabling technologies (such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data analytics) rather than in traditional connectivity services.
Methodologically, this research combines quantitative market valuation, industrial economics, and strategic foresight techniques. A representative example is the work carried out within the RESTART programme, which developed a layered model of the European telecommunications ecosystem and provided a detailed estimation of its economic value and growth trajectories. By integrating statistical data, financial analysis, and scenario-building methodologies, the study explored multiple plausible futures up to 2040, assessing how alternative configurations could affect competition, investment capacity, technological sovereignty, and overall ecosystem value. Through scenario analysis and the identification of key strategic crossroads (e.g., infrastructure investment models, market consolidation, single market integration, and digital sovereignty initiatives), this research stream provides decision-support tools for policymakers and industry stakeholders, contributing to more sustainable, competitive, and innovation-driven telecommunications markets.
