Conclusion

In the first part of this concluding chapter, we summarise the main topics of the book on the background of the 2020 pandemic crisis. The theoretical perspective we have proposed is to address both the smart manufacturing and sharing economy phenomena within a broader and more transversal paradigm – that of the economy of collaboration in the era of digitalisation. In the second part, we underline the need for regulation to govern the ‘critical junctions’ between the digital collaborative activities and traditional business, also in order to create ‘shared value’ for companies, workers and citizens. Norms must serve three purposes: (1) to regulate the market from forms of unfair competition, safeguarding not only traditional operators but also users/consumers and workers; (2) to promote the economy of collaboration; (3) to create positive synergies between the market forms and those based on reciprocity.