The Italian Silicon Valley is in Naples With the only Apple Developer Academy in all of Europe

Naples is known worldwide for a myriad of reasons: its cuisine, its music, the sea, its folklore. In short, when thinking of the Neapolitan city, a long list of cultural elements immediately comes to mind, elements we now define with the expression “soft power”. Among these, however, it’s rare to imagine the tech industry. Yet, over the past ten years, a small Italian Silicon Valley has developed right around the Neapolitan capital, thanks especially to the Apple Developer Academy, inaugurated in 2016 in collaboration with the Federico II University. The academy is not located in the historic center but in San Giovanni a Teduccio, a neighborhood that for years had a reputation as the “Bronx of Naples.” However, the Apple Developer Academy has set in motion a significant process of urban and social redevelopment, to the point that Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president, defined Naples as the national hub for developers during an official visit. In nearly ten years, the Academy has trained over 2,500 students, many of whom have gone on to build important careers as iOS programmers, Apple’s operating system. The presence of the Cupertino giant has also attracted other major tech companies to the area, contributing to the creation of a digital ecosystem, an innovative district comparable in dynamics to the Californian one.

Despite these important steps forward, in public debate the idea still persists that Southern Italy is technologically less advanced compared to the rest of the country. However, Naples is proving with concrete facts that it can overcome this stereotype. Besides the Apple Developer Academy, there are established institutions such as Città della Scienza, which represents a key center for innovation and scientific dissemination, and public universities like Federico II and the University of Salerno in Fisciano, considered national benchmarks for STEM subjects. Development has been further confirmed by the interest of Plug&Play Tech Center, one of Silicon Valley’s most important business accelerators, known for funding successful startups like Dropbox. As reported in a press release by the Campania Region, manager Mohannad El Khairy, during a visit to Naples in 2024, met with local research and technological development representatives, seriously considering the opportunity for investments in the region. The area identified as the most promising for hosting a future accelerator is precisely San Giovanni a Teduccio, already home to university laboratories and research centers.

As also reported by Il Post, in recent years, several digital multinationals have chosen Naples as a base to open new offices and operational branches, attracted by the quality of local human capital and the city’s strategic position for Southern Italian markets. Fintech companies such as Accenture, Engineering, Capgemini, DXC, and Almaviva have strengthened their presence in the area, alongside software and cloud giants like IBM and telecommunications companies like TIM, which operates a 5G research lab in the city. At the same time, Naples is witnessing the growth of an ecosystem of innovative startups, born from university spin-offs or founded by local researchers. Notable examples include MegaRide, specializing in digital solutions for sustainable mobility, Logogramma working with artificial intelligence, Bhblasted in digital marketing, and TechVisory in data management and analysis. Apple has played the role of a trailblazer: the presence of America’s leading tech company has led to the creation of many other academies in the San Giovanni a Teduccio district, in partnership with Federico II and other major digital groups, such as HackAdemy, Cisco Academy, and many more. So no, Naples is not just the city of sun, pizza, and the sea, but also a place of technological development and innovation. We can only hope that in the coming years, the brain drain will take a new turn, a wish also shared by Mayor Manfredi.