The Scena Project: Digital Asset Management in the Theater Industry

(disponible en anglais seulement)

[VERSION EN PRÉPUBLICATION]

Francesco Santoleri, Matteo Saggese, Michela Addis, Roberta Capozucca, Caterina Conigliani, Alessandro Lorica

Francesco Santoleri is a Research Fellow at the Department of Economics, Roma Tre University (Rome, Italy). His main research interests and publications focus on digital transformation, sustainability, and innovation in cultural and public sectors.
Matteo Saggese is a digital innovation leader with over 25 years of experience in R&D and technology management. He is Innovation Officer at DotBeyond – Innovation FARM, focusing on emerging technologies and organizational transformation.
Michela Addis is a Full Professor of Management and Marketing at Roma Tre University, Italy, and Associate Editor of the International Journal of Arts Management. Her research focuses on customer experience, cultural consumption, and well-being in marketing.
Roberta Capozucca is a project designer, cultural policy expert, university lecturer, and journalist for Il Sole 24 Ore. She works across culture, innovation, and territorial development.
Caterina Conigliani is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the Department of Business Studies, Roma Tre University (Rome, Italy). Her research focuses on model uncertainty, Bayesian model comparison, spatial econometrics, and gravity models.
Alessandro Lorica is Deputy CEO of Dot Beyond, with over 30 years of experience in ICT and digital entertainment. He has held executive roles in corporate management and digital transformation. He holds an MBA from Luiss Guido Carli.

ABSTRACT
The theater industry faces significant challenges such as high production costs, inefficient resource management, and environmental impacts, which jeopardize its long-term sustainability. Digital transformation offers a potential pathway, yet its adoption in the performing arts remains limited. This teaching case study examines Scena, an innovative digital platform that fundamentally rethinks asset management in theatre by leveraging integrated digital twin technology, virtual 3D environments, and circular economy principles specifically adapted for creative industries. Scena’s innovation lies in its unique synthesis of four interconnected functionalities that address the fundamental tension between theatrical uniqueness and resource sharing: centralized digital asset management with automated compliance tracking, peer-to-peer rental and exchange marketplace, virtual 3D performance spaces using digital twin simulation, and a collaborative community learning platform. By facilitating asset reuse, reducing waste, and introducing circular economy principles through a “Creative Circularity” framework, Scena addresses operational inefficiencies while fostering creative collaboration and maintaining artistic integrity.

KEYWORDS
Digital transformation; theaters; performing arts; sustainability; circular economy; digital platforms; teaching case study