7. Can Rural Regions Compete for Talents? A Case Study From South Tyrol, Italy

South Tyrol is an Italian region that enjoys economic well-being and a high quality of life. However, in the last decades, the region is experiencing labor market shortages, population aging and high-skilled emigration. In order to investigate how the region could better position itself in the global competition for a high-skilled workforce, we assess its degree of talent attractivity and its role within Europe by benchmarking it against other European regions using the European Regions’ Talent Competitiveness Index (ERTCI). The chapter is structured as follows: in the introduction, we provide some contextual information about South Tyrol; we then investigate the position of South Tyrol within ERTCI at both the European and Italian level, by analyzing each pillar separately in the second part of the chapter. Our insights can support recommendations for improving the region’s talent attraction strategy.