Search Results (61)

The accelerating growth of the digital economy (DE) offers fresh momentum towards reaching carbon emissions’ peak and neutrality. Nevertheless, the impact mechanism of the DE on carbon emissions intensity (CEI) is insufficiently characterized. Our study first constructs an expanded comprehensive indicator system to evaluate DE development level from five dimensions containing 17 indicators. Panel data from 30 Chinese provincial regions (2013–2023) were analyzed using fixed effects, mediating effects, and spatial Durbin models to empirically examine the relationship and mechanisms between DE and CEI. Considering the existence of indirect effects of DE on CEs, the mechanism associated with the effect of the DE on CEs from the perspectives of economic growth, industrial structure upgrading, and scientific and technology innovation has been explored. The findings indicate notable regional disparities in the DE level across various provincial regions of China. China’s DE development significantly inhibits CEI. Furthermore, the DE’s development has successfully curtailed CE growth via three mediating mechanisms. And the DE exhibits a critical spatial spillover effect on CEI, and that effect also exhibits regional heterogeneity. Our findings can aid in regional DE development and the creation of policies to reduce CEs. Full article

Agricultural new quality productive forces (ANQPFs) signify the progressive trajectory of modern agriculture. However, their development encounters significant challenges in many nations. The digital economy, characterized by its strong innovative capacity, offers continuous impetus for advancing agricultural new quality productive forces (ANQPFs). Based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces (2014–2023), this study employs a two-way fixed-effects model, mediation and threshold effect analyses, and a spatial Durbin model to comprehensively assess the influence of the digital economy (DE) on agricultural new quality productive forces (ANQPFs). The findings reveal that (1) the digital economy (DE) significantly enhances the advancement of agricultural new quality productive forces (ANQPFs); (2) while its positive effect is pronounced in eastern, central, and western China, the impact is weaker in the northeastern region; (3) rural financial development (RFD) acts as a mediator in the relationship between digital economy (DE) growth and agricultural new quality productive forces (ANQPFs); (4) the digital economy (DE)’s contribution to agricultural new quality productive forces (ANQPFs) demonstrates non-linear trends; and (5) spatially, while the digital economy (DE) boosts the local agricultural new quality productive forces (ANQPFs), it exerts a negative spillover effect on neighboring areas. This research offers fresh empirical insights into the determinants of agricultural new quality productive forces (ANQPFs) and suggests policy measures to support agricultural modernization. Full article

This study investigates the role of the digital economy (DE) in advancing the high-quality development of manufacturing in China, with a particular focus on the moderating effects of manufacturing agglomeration and digital literacy. Using provincial panel data from 2013 to 2023, we find that the digital economy significantly enhances manufacturing development across three key dimensions: green transformation, innovation, and high-end industrial upgrading. Manufacturing agglomeration strengthens this effect, especially in the Eastern and Western regions, by facilitating digital spillovers and leveraging digital infrastructure. However, in the Central region, the impact of agglomeration is weaker, hindered by fragmented industrial clusters and underdeveloped digital infrastructure. The study also highlights significant regional differences in the moderating effect of digital literacy. In the Eastern region, digital literacy negatively moderates the relationship between DE and manufacturing development due to skill mismatches, while in the Western region, localized concentrations of digital skills have a positive but geographically constrained impact. Temporal analysis reveals a shift in the moderating role of digital literacy, with its negative effect becoming more pronounced after 2018, suggesting a growing need for targeted skill development policies. These findings underscore the importance of regionally tailored strategies to promote digital manufacturing integration, with a focus on sustainable development through digital transformation and green manufacturing practices. Full article

Blockchain’s promise of decentralised, tamper-resistant services is gaining real traction in three arenas: decentralized finance (DeFi), blockchain gaming, and data-driven analytics. These sectors span finance, entertainment, and information services, offering a representative setting in which to study real-world adoption. This survey analyzes how each domain implements blockchain, identifies the incentives that accelerate uptake, and maps the technical and organizational barriers that still limit scale. By examining peer-reviewed literature and recent industry developments, this review distils common design features such as token incentives, verifiable digital ownership, and immutable data governance. It also pinpoints the following domain-specific challenges: capital efficiency in DeFi, asset portability and community engagement in gaming, and high-volume, low-latency querying in analytics. Moreover, cross-sector links are already forming, with DeFi liquidity tools supporting in-game economies and analytics dashboards improving decision-making across platforms. Building on these findings, this paper offers guidance on stronger interoperability and user-centered design and sets research priorities in consensus optimization, privacy-preserving analytics, and inclusive governance. Together, the insights equip developers, policymakers, and researchers to build scalable, interoperable platforms and reuse proven designs while avoiding common pitfalls. Full article

Blockchain technology is being increasingly deployed to store and process transactions and information in the global financial sector. Blockchain underpins cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and facilitates decentralized finance (DeFi), representing a paradigm shift in the global financial landscape, offering alternative solutions to traditional banking, and fostering financial inclusion. In developing economies such as Morocco, where a significant portion of the population remains unbanked, these digital financial innovations present both opportunities and challenges. This study examines the potential role of cryptocurrencies and DeFi in enhancing financial inclusion in Morocco, where cryptocurrencies have been banned since 2017. However, the public continues to use cryptocurrencies, circumventing restrictions, and the Moroccan Central Bank is now preparing to introduce new regulations to legalize their use within the country. In this context, this article analyses the potential of cryptocurrencies to mitigate barriers such as high transaction costs, restricted access to financial services in rural areas, and limited financial literacy in the country. The study pursues a mixed-methods approach, which combines a quantitative survey with qualitative expert interviews and adapts the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to the Moroccan context. The findings reveal that while cryptocurrencies offer cost-efficient financial transactions and improved accessibility, their adoption may be constrained by regulatory uncertainty, security risks, and technological limitations. The novelty of the article thus lies in its focus on the key mechanisms that influence the adoption of cryptocurrencies and their potential impact in a specific national context. In so doing, the study highlights the need for a structured regulatory framework, investment in digital infrastructure, and targeted financial literacy initiatives to optimize the potential role of cryptocurrencies in progressing financial inclusion in Morocco. This underscores the need for integrated models and guidelines for policymakers, financial institutions, and technology providers to ensure the responsible introduction of cryptocurrencies in developing world environments. Full article

Urban green development has become a crucial approach for balancing ecological conservation and socio-economic development. The digital economy (DE) and new-type urbanization (NTU), as technological and social systems, respectively, are both driving urban green development. In this context, furthering their synergistic effects could substantially improve urban sustainability outcomes. Grounded in sociotechnical systems theory, this study applied pooled and multi-period fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze urban green development pathways in 79 Yellow River Basin cities (2020–2022). The pooled fsQCA indicates that urban green development is driven by synergistic interaction within the NTU-DE subsystem, especially industrial digitalization–spatial urbanization. The multi-period fsQCA further demonstrates that industrial digitization has always existed as a core condition, which means that it plays a more general role. In addition, the Yellow River Basin exhibits distinct regional variations in urban green development, where the downstream region is dominantly driven by DE and spatial urbanization, the upstream region by industrial digitization, and the midstream region demonstrates diversified pathways. This study enhances understanding of complex system interactions in urban green development and provides policy-relevant insights. For policy implementation, local governments should not only prioritize effective synergies between industrial digitization and spatial urbanization but also develop differentiated strategies for the DE and NTU subsystems based on local conditions. Full article

The development of the digital economy provides important opportunities and conditions for China to achieve the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Based on panel data from 30 provinces in mainland China from 2016 to 2022, this research investigates the spatial spillover effect and nonlinear impact of the digital economy on the energy optimization of the manufacturing industry using the spatial econometric and panel threshold model. It is found that both the digital economy and energy optimization of the manufacturing industry have a significant positive spatial correlation. The spatial econometric models under different weights all illustrate that the regional digital economy has not significantly promoted energy optimization of the manufacturing industry in a local region but produced a significant positive influence on the energy optimization of the manufacturing industry in neighboring regions. In addition, the impact of the digital economy on the energy optimization of the manufacturing industry presents a significant single threshold effect. With the improvement of digital economy, energy optimization of manufacturing industry has a U-shaped change trend. This study integrates the digital economy and manufacturing energy optimization into a cohesive analytical framework, elucidating the mechanisms through which the digital economy influences the restructuring of manufacturing energy and enhances energy efficiency while providing innovative pathways and theoretical support for advancing energy efficiency under carbon emission reduction constraints. Full article

The high-quality development of the fishery economy (HQDF) is crucial to ensuring the sustainable supply of aquatic products. This study first conducts a theoretical analysis of the potential impacts of the digital economy (DE) on the HQDF and explores the underlying mechanisms. By using provincial panel data of China from 2011 to 2022, comprehensive indicator systems are constructed to measure the development levels of the DE and the HQDF. A two-way fixed effects model is employed to empirically examine the impact of the DE on the HQDF, with a focus on the mediating roles of technological innovation and entrepreneurial activity. The findings reveal that the DE significantly and positively drives the fishery economy towards high-quality development, and these results remain robust across various robustness tests and endogeneity treatments. Additionally, the transmission mechanisms of technological innovation and entrepreneurial activity enhancement are empirically validated. The impact of the digital economy exhibits regional heterogeneity. This study provides a scientific basis for achieving high-quality and sustainable development in the fishery sector, suggesting that fostering the digital economy, technological innovation, and entrepreneurship should be prioritized in policy interventions. Full article

The digital economy plays a crucial role in facilitating the flow of resources between urban and rural areas and addressing developmental imbalances. This study analyzed the coordinated development of the digital economy (DE) and urban–rural integration (URI) across 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2010 to 2022. Using the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method and the coupling coordination degree model, we evaluated the spatial distribution of coordination levels. A modified gravity model and social network analysis revealed spatial correlation structures, while geographic detectors identified dominant influencing factors. The results showed that: (1) the digital economy has advanced faster than urban–rural integration, leading to regional disparities; (2) the coupling coordination level improved over the study period, with cities exhibiting higher coordination concentrated in the eastern and southeastern parts of the region, showing an M-shaped distribution; (3) the coupling coordination degree displayed a spatial distribution pattern from northwest to southeast, with the center shifting southeastward, while overall the central area outperformed the northern and southern areas and the eastern area outperformed the western area; (4) core cities in the spatial correlation network have expanded from Shanghai, Suzhou, and Wuxi to include Nanjing and Changzhou, with increasing influence, but uneven mediating roles; (5) the coordinated development of the digital economy and urban–rural integration was influenced by different factors over various time periods, with the flow of urban–rural resources, agricultural modernization, and social equalization being the primary contributors. Targeted optimization strategies using the geographic detector model would provide a reference for regional urban–rural development. Full article

The digital economy (DE) and real economy (RE) are dual pillars of the modern economic system. The deep integration of the digital economy and real economy (IDR) has emerged as a pivotal strategic trend. IDR not only can enhance international competitiveness but also contributes to sustainable development goals. This work collects DE and RE data from 30 provinces in China between 2012 and 2022. The entropy weight method and the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model are employed to measure the level of IDR. Furthermore, the Dagum Gini coefficient, Kernel density estimation, the spatial autocorrelation model, and the geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model are utilized to analyze the spatial–temporal evolution and influencing factors of CCD. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) During the study period, CCD shows an upward trend, but the value is relatively low. (2) There are significant spatial differences in CCD, and the inter-regional difference is the primary cause. (3) The regional differences in CCD are continuously widening. (4) CCD shows an obvious global spatial agglomeration feature, and the spatial agglomeration degree of CCD has been enhanced from 2012 to 2022. (5) The policy intensity, digital infrastructure, industrial structure, human capital, technological innovation, and market environment have significant impacts on CCD. The obtained findings provide important theoretical support for the coordinated development of DE and RE. Full article

This study investigates the critical roles of green innovation adoption (GIA) and green technology adoption (GTA) in advancing the digital economy (DE). It explores how creative enterprises (CE) and financial capability (FC) mediate and moderate the relationships between green innovation, technology adoption, and the digital economy. Data were collected from 400 respondents in the automotive industry in China through a structured survey questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted using Smart PLS 4.0 to analyze the data and test the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that green innovation and technology adoption significantly and positively impact the digital economy. Moreover, these factors positively influence creative enterprises, enhancing the digital economy. Creative enterprises were also found to mediate the relationship between green innovation/technology adoption and the digital economy. In addition, financial capability significantly moderated the link between creative enterprises and the digital economy. This research contributes to the literature by examining the synergistic effects of environmental sustainability, innovation adoption, and technological integration within the digital economy. It provides actionable insights into embedding sustainable practices in the evolving digital landscape while highlighting the intricate dynamics among innovation, technology adoption, and financial resources in driving economic transformation. This study contributes to the literature by exploring the synergistic effects of green innovation, technology adoption, and financial capability in driving the digital economy, focusing on creative enterprises as a mediating factor. It provides actionable insights for integrating sustainability into the digital landscape, offering a novel framework for economic transformation in the automotive industry. Full article

Regional competitiveness is essential for sustainable development, driven by complex and interrelated factors. This study applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assess experts’ perspectives of the primary factors influencing regional competitiveness, including factors like the economy, the labor market, poverty and social inclusion, health, education, environmental sustainability, transport infrastructure, technology/science and the digital society, high-tech industry growth, and innovation. From a comprehensive list of over 250 regions in the EU, selection of regions was made based on their ranked Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI), from the region with the highest index to the region with the lowest index. This involved choosing one representative region from each of the fifty RCI rankings. The selected regions included SE11 (Stockholm, Sweden, RCI: 1.08), BE22 (the Flemish Region, Belgium, RCI: 0.46), FRH0 (Île-de-France, France, RCI: 0.11), ITC3 (Lombardy, Italy, RCI: −0.30), PL43 (Masovia, Poland, RCI: −0.69), and EL53 (Western Macedonia, Greece, RCI: −1.44). By applying the AHP methodology, the prioritization sequence of the aforementioned regions was validated, confirming the robustness of the ranking derived from the Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI). The AHP analysis reinforced the importance of addressing region-specific factors and highlighted the alignment of expert judgments with the established RCI-based rankings. This study highlights the critical role of region-specific factors in driving competitiveness and sustainable development, with the AHP methodology effectively validating the prioritization of regions and providing a robust framework for aligning expert insights with established rankings. Full article

In recent years, the digital economy (DE) has gained significant attention for its potential in reducing carbon emissions (CE). This paper intends to explore the regional carbon reduction effect of the DE and the entrepreneurship of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMMEs), as well as disclose the mechanism through which the entrepreneurship of SMMEs functions. To this end, this paper employs an extended STIRPAT model to analyze the panel data of 30 provinces in China spanning from 2011 to 2018. The empirical analysis shows that (1) the DE has a positive effect on reducing regional total carbon emissions (TCE) and carbon emissions intensity (CEI); (2) the entrepreneurship of SMMEs has a negative influence on reducing regional CE; (3) the entrepreneurship of SMMEs fully mediates the link between the DE and TCE and partially mediates the relationship between the DE and the CEI; and (4) the DE has a stronger carbon reduction effect in regions with low urbanization levels and low institutional quality, as well as non-industrial pilot areas. The findings provide empirical evidence to policymakers on promoting CE reduction and the DE. This study has practical value for SMMEs to improve competitiveness and survival under the current environment. Full article

China has commenced a high-quality development phase, necessitating significant promotion of the digital economy (DE), which includes green advancement as its foundation. Transitioning from a DE into high-quality development requires advancing the concept of new quality productivity (NQP), which unequivocally delineates the direction of Chinese socio-economic progress. Therefore, this study developed a new quality productivity indicator model encompassing three components aligning with NQP: (i) scientific and technological, (ii) green, and (iii) digital productivity. The analysis investigated the crucial role of the NQP in achieving the “double carbon” goal within the DE by utilizing panel data from 30 Chinese provinces between 2012 and 2022. Consequently, the DE substantially reduced carbon emissions (CEs) and exhibited a notable spatial spillover effect. The impact coefficient of the DE on CEs is −0.0583, which is significant at the 1% level. The direct effect and indirect effect analysis revealed that the inhibition effect of the DE on regional CEs was −0.0725 and −0.0964, respectively (significant at the 1% level). The heterogeneity outcomes denoted lower carbon emissions in non-resource-based regions due to the DE. Nevertheless, this process did not exhibit the same impact on resource-based regions. Furthermore, the NQP functioned as the intermediary factor in the correlation between DE development and CEs. This outcome then led to three critical recommendations: (i) the complete release of the digital dividend, (ii) enhanced government attention toward low-carbon environmental protection, and (iii) the establishment of a green technology innovation platform to achieve higher rates of NQP development. Full article

This article offers a clear and approachable introduction to the evolving landscape of money and the frictions developing between traditional government control and decentralized finance (DeFi). Tailored for readers with a basic awareness of cryptocurrency but limited familiarity with its broader implications, the article demystifies DeFi by explaining its core concepts including blockchain, Centralized Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and the historical role of government regulation of money through central banking. Against this backdrop, it examines the transformative potential of DeFi, emphasizing the growing tension between the centralized authority of governments and the decentralized ideals driving this new financial model. While governments seek to maintain stability and control, individuals increasingly gravitate toward the more affordable, efficient, and inclusive solutions promised by DeFi. Designed to empower readers with a better grasp of the forces shaping the future of finance, this article underscores the importance of understanding the delicate interplay between governmental oversight and decentralized innovation. As the digital economy expands, this dynamic struggle will influence not only economic policies but also personal financial choices and access to resources. Full article