Digital transformation and public-private partnership to enhance local cultural heritage

The present research aims to explore how digital transformation, when integrated within Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and social enterprise models, can foster inclusive, innovative, and sustainable approaches to cultural heritage governance. Anchored in the case study of JustMO’, a cultural cooperative operating in the South of Italy, the study investigates how multi-stakeholder collaboration can activate new value creation processes in the cultural sector. Adopting the SoPHIA evaluation model as a holistic analytical framework, the study examines the cultural, social, educational, and economic impacts of digitally supported heritage initiatives to enhance visitor experience and to reinforce place identity and community ownership. The analysis emphasizes the strategic role of Special Public-Private Partnerships (PSPPs) in enabling cross-sector collaboration, with social enterprises positioned as key orchestrators of digital ecosystems. These hybrid actors bridge institutional boundaries, channel public and private resources, and promote co-creation through participatory design and open digital infrastructures. From a theoretical perspective, the paper contributes to current debates on PPPs by proposing an expanded view of social enterprises as drivers of digitally enabled cultural innovation. Ultimately, the study provides insights for cultural managers, policymakers, and scholars seeking to align heritage valorization with sustainability objectives and place-based development strategies.