Search Results (102)

Green total factor productivity (GTFP), as an important indicator considering both economic development and environmental protection, has prompted countries around the world to actively explore ways to improve it in the context of the global transition to a green economy. The Low-Carbon City Policy (LCCP) implemented by the Chinese government, along with the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone Policy (NBDCPZ), which serve as key carriers of green regulation and digital innovation, respectively, play an important role in improving green total factor productivity (GTFP) and achieving high-quality economic development. This study aims to deeply explore whether there is a collaborative enabling effect of the Low-Carbon City Policy (LCCP) and the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone Policy (NBDCPZ) on green total factor productivity (GTFP) and to reveal the internal mechanism by which they improve GTFP through green technological innovation and industrial agglomeration. Specifically, based on the panel data of 269 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2022, a “dual-pilot” policy is constructed through LCCP and NBDCPZ, and a multi-period difference-in-differences model (DID) is used to evaluate the collaborative effect of the “dual-pilot” policy on GTFP. The results show that the “dual-pilot” policy has a significant collaborative effect on green total factor productivity (GTFP), and its enabling effect is more obvious than that of the “single-pilot” policy. These conclusions still hold after a series of endogeneity and robustness tests. Mechanism analysis shows that the “dual-pilot” policy can also improve green total factor productivity (GTFP) through green technological innovation and industrial agglomeration. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the collaborative enabling effect of the “dual-pilot” policy is influenced by geographical location and population density. Specifically, the “dual-pilot” policy significantly promotes green total factor productivity (GTFP) in coastal cities and those with high population density. These research results provide a scientific basis for formulating green development policies in China and other countries, as well as a direction for subsequent research on the collaborative enabling effect of multiple policies. Full article

Digital technologies have transformed the spatial organization of finance. As a result, geographic and virtual agglomerations co-exist. In this paper, we model the synergistic integration of geographic and virtual agglomerations within China’s financial industry from a systems perspective. Using provincial panel data from 2011 to 2023, we develop an entropy-weighted coupling coordination model to measure the interaction between the two agglomerations. Furthermore, we employ spatial and convergence analyses to reveal their evolutionary characteristics. Our findings reveal three key results. First, financial geographic agglomeration shows an overall increasing trend, with regional levels ranked as follows: eastern region, northeastern region, western region, and central region. It exhibits significant positive spatial correlation and convergence characteristics. Second, financial virtual agglomeration also continues to strengthen, with regional levels ranked as eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions. Its convergence patterns display regional heterogeneity, and no significant spatial correlation is observed. Third, the coupling coordination degree between the two agglomerations has steadily improved nationwide and across all four major regions with convergent trends. By 2023, the eastern region has entered a stage of primary coordination, while the central, western, and northeastern regions remain in a near-dysfunctional state. In terms of driving patterns, most provinces are primarily driven by geographic agglomeration. Hunan, Hainan, and Guizhou are driven by virtual agglomeration, whereas Beijing, Anhui, Shandong, Guangdong, and Yunnan demonstrate a synchronized pattern driven by both agglomeration types. Overall, our findings highlight the systemic nature of financial agglomeration in the digital economy and enrich the theoretical understanding of financial dual-agglomeration synergy. They provide an analytical framework and empirical evidence for designing differentiated regional financial development policies. Full article

In the era of the digital economy, AI technology is regarded as a key driver in promoting the development of new quality productive forces of enterprises. Based on the theories of creative destruction and resource allocation, this study selects Chinese enterprise-level data from 2009 to 2022 as the research sample, constructs enterprise new quality productivity indicators through text analysis and machine learning methods, and explores the impact of artificial intelligence on new quality productivity. The study results show that AI technology significantly improves the new quality productivity of enterprises. Further research found that enterprise director background, digital industry agglomeration and financial agglomeration positively moderated the relationship between AI and new quality productivity. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the enabling effect of AI technology on new quality productivity is more significant in high-tech enterprises, state-owned enterprises and enterprises with strong policy support. Through empirical analysis, this study verifies the facilitating effect of AI technological innovation on enterprises’ new quality productivity, which provides important insights for enterprises in emerging economies to achieve the development of new quality productive forces in digital transformation. Full article

The pursuit of low-carbon economic development represents an inherent requirement for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and serves as a vital support for advancing SDG 7, SDG 9, and SDG 13. Drawing on provincial data from China (2006–2023), this research investigates how digital-real convergence influences low-carbon economic development. The results demonstrate a positive contribution of this convergence to growth in the low-carbon economy, and it proves to be superior to models reliant solely on either digital-digital or real-real convergence. A notable finding is the considerable regional variation in the effect. It is strong in both eastern and western parts of the country, which stands in sharp contrast to central China, where the effect is statistically insignificant or negative. Identified as underlying mechanisms are the agglomeration of innovative talent and the accumulation of innovative capital. Additionally, a single-threshold effect of urbanization level is identified, indicating that the positive impact strengthens only after urbanization surpasses a critical value. Furthermore, digital-real convergence not only enhances local low-carbon development but also generates positive spillover effects on neighboring regions. Thus, to fully advance the SDGs, policy formulation and implementation must account for regional heterogeneity, prioritize the elevation of urbanization levels, enhance cross-regional collaboration, and amplify the enabling role of digital-real integration. Full article

The influence of the digital economy on green technological innovation is essential for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces between 2011 and 2023, this study establishes a dual fixed-effects model to investigate how the digital economy affects green technological innovation, considering both quantity and quality. It innovatively explores the roles of high-tech industry agglomeration, high-tech talent agglomeration, and their synergistic agglomeration. This study reveals the following: (1) The digital economy has a significant promotional effect on both the quantity and quality of green technological innovation, and this finding has been consistently verified through an array of robustness tests. (2) Mechanism results show that high-tech industry agglomeration, high-tech talent agglomeration, and their synergistic agglomeration all have a “multiplier effect”, but the impact intensity of synergistic agglomeration is less than that of single agglomeration. (3) Further exploration of the threshold effect of synergistic agglomeration shows that, concerning the quantity of green technological innovation, a higher level of synergistic agglomeration corresponds to a stronger promotional effect. In terms of quality, the promotional effect reaches its peak after the degree of synergistic agglomeration crosses the first threshold and weakens after crossing the second threshold. (4) Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive impacts of the digital economy on green innovation are more pronounced in Eastern and Central China than in its western regions. Moreover, a lower environmental regulation intensity favors innovation quantity, while a higher intensity promotes quality. Additionally, the facilitative effect is the strongest in regions where greater attention is given by the government to green development. This study offers practical insights for sustainable global development, particularly in the context of developing nations. Full article

Against the backdrop of the rapid development of digital technologies, such as mobile internet, big data, and cloud computing, the geographical agglomeration of industries is gradually shifting toward virtual agglomeration. In this paper, we examine the effect of both geographical and virtual agglomeration of the agricultural industry on farmers’ agricultural income, and we focus on the transmission mechanism of technological innovation in this process. In the empirical section, using the citrus industry as an example, we employed a moderated mediation effect model for verification and derived the following conclusions: (1) Both geographical and virtual agglomeration of the agricultural industry promote an increase in farmers’ agricultural income by enhancing technological innovation, respectively. (2) Virtual agglomeration of the agricultural industry has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between geographical agglomeration and farmers’ agricultural income, that is, virtual agglomeration alleviates the “crowding effect” and to some extent substitutes for geographical agglomeration. (3) In the mechanism where geographical agglomeration in the agricultural industry increases farmers’ agricultural income through technological innovation, virtual agglomeration has a positive moderating effect. This paper is important for enabling farmers to share the benefits of the digital economy and achieve continuous growth in agricultural income. It is also important for the sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations, such as eliminating poverty (SDG1), eliminating hunger (SDG2), promoting sustainable economic growth and full employment (SDG8), and promoting innovation (SDG9). Full article

Enhancing green development efficiency (GDE) is of great significance in achieving regional green transition. Against the backdrop of rapid advancements in digital technology, digital–real economy integration (DRI) opens a new avenue for enhancing GDE. This research develops a theoretical analytical framework to analyze the influence of DRI on GDE. It employs panel data from 41 cities in China’s Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA) spanning from 2011 to 2023 to develop a series of econometric models that empirically examine the impact of DRI on GDE and its underlying mechanisms. Research has demonstrated that the degree of DRI varies by region across the YRDUA, with a pattern of decreasing from east to west. Empirical results confirm that DRI development significantly boosts GDE in the YRDUA. Mechanism tests reveal that DRI indirectly enhances GDE through industrial structure optimization, green technological progress, and resource allocation efficiency. Moderation effects indicate that industrial collaborative agglomeration (ICA) significantly amplifies DRI’s positive impact on GDE. Further analysis indicates that the positive impact of DRI on GDE is only significant in low-carbon pilot cities and non-resource-based cities. Moreover, ICA exhibits a single-threshold effect: when regional ICA exceeds 2.0048, DRI’s impact on GDE demonstrates diminishing marginal returns. These findings not only give a realistic roadmap for accomplishing regional green transformation but also offer empirical evidence for policymakers to make scientific policies, adapt to local conditions, and appropriately promote ICA. This approach fully leverages the benefits of DRI, thereby advancing the economy toward sustainable development. Full article

Amid the rapid evolution of the digital economy reshaping global competitiveness, China has advanced regional coordination through the Digital China initiative and the “Data Elements ×” Three-Year Action Plan (2024–2026). To further integrate digital transformation with high-quality growth in the urban agglomerations of the middle and lower Yellow River, this study aims to strengthen regional competitiveness, expand digital industries, foster new productivity, refine the development pathway, and safeguard balanced economic, social, and ecological progress. Taking the Yellow River urban clusters as the research object, a comprehensive assessment framework encompassing seven subsystems is established. By employing a mixed-weighting approach, entropy-based TOPSIS, hotspot analysis, coupling coordination models, spatial gravity shift techniques, and grey relational methods, this study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics between the digital economy and high-quality development. The findings reveal that: (1) temporally, the coupling–coordination process evolves through three distinct phases—initial fluctuation and divergence (1990–2005), synergy consolidation (2005–2015), and high-level stabilization (2015–2022)—with the average coordination index rising from 0.21 to 0.41; (2) spatially, a persistent “core–periphery” structure emerges, while subsystem coupling consistently surpasses coordination levels, reflecting a pattern of “high coupling but insufficient coordination”; (3) hot–cold spot analysis identifies sharp east–west contrasts, with the gravity center shift and ellipse trajectory showing weaker directional stability but greater dispersion; and (4) grey correlation results indicate that key drivers have transitioned from economic scale and infrastructure inputs to green innovation performance and data resource allocation. Overall, this study interprets the empirical results in both temporal and spatial dimensions, offering insights for policymakers seeking to narrow the digital divide and advance sustainable, high-quality development in the Yellow River region. Full article

This study explores the potential connections between the digital economy and water conservation technologies in the context of China’s water resource consumption from 2008 to 2021. The research employs a state-of-the-art M-MQR technique, including the PCA index, and yields several significant findings. Empirical results reveal that digital technologies play a crucial role in reducing water consumption: Mobile technology decreases water use by −0.00001 to −0.00002 across quantiles, while internet access cuts consumption by −0.0000306 at lower quantiles and −0.0000167 at higher quantiles. The digital economy index shows an overall reduction in water consumption of −0.0537 at lower quantiles and −0.0292 at higher quantiles. Water conservation technologies, such as sprinkler irrigation, also contribute significantly, with reductions of −0.005 at the 10th quantile. Furthermore, water-saving investments show a positive effect on reducing water consumption, with reductions of −0.0105 at the 95th quantile. The study emphasizes that digitalization moderates the impact of water-saving technologies, reducing consumption by −0.0124 to −0.0118 at lower quantiles and −0.00812 to −0.00761 at middle quantiles. These results highlight the potential of digital infrastructure and water-saving investments to improve water use efficiency and address China’s water resource challenges. This study proposes that digital water supply and distribution system devices can help develop smart water infrastructure, reduce waste, and improve efficiency. Full article

Population mobility is increasingly crucial for regional development. However, current studies often neglect the impact of rapid digitalization. This study adopts a three-stage analytical framework derived from the Techno-Economic Paradigm across its incubation, penetration, and maturity phases to examine how digital technology evolution has reshaped China’s population mobility patterns. Through ERGM and social network analysis, we found the following: (1) During the incubation period (1980s–2000), digital technology enhanced economies of scale, leading to a siphoning effect of the population from inland to coastal areas. (2) In the penetration phase (2000–2017), digital technology had a dual effect. Automation weakened coastal agglomeration by replacing labor, while the digital industry created new inland clusters of employment, ultimately reshaping population mobility into a multi-center structure. (3) In the maturity phase (2018–present), the concentration of skilled workers in technology hubs and the dispersal of displaced labor to less digitally advanced areas formed a multi-centered and networked population mobility pattern, thereby enhancing the sustainability and spatial balance of the urban system through functional specialization and the matching of skill profiles to city roles. Full article

With the continuous expansion of the digital economy, its share in China’s overall economy has been steadily increasing. Against the backdrop of the national “dual-carbon” goals, an important question arises: how does the digital economy contribute to carbon reduction? This study selects panel data from nine cities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration between 2011 and 2023. The development level of the digital economy is measured using the entropy weight method and an index system. A two-way fixed effects model and a mediation effect model are then employed to empirically examine the relationship and mechanisms between the digital economy and urban carbon emissions. The main findings are as follows: (1) the development of the digital economy exerts a significant negative regulatory effect on carbon emissions, which remains robust after a series of tests; (2) heterogeneity analysis reveals that the inhibitory effect of the digital economy on carbon emissions is more evident in economically advanced cities, and the development level of metropolitan areas significantly influences this relationship; (3) mechanism analysis indicates that stronger environmental regulation significantly enhances the carbon reduction effect of the digital economy; and (4) the scale of e-commerce in the PRD plays a “suppression effect”, offsetting the original carbon-increasing effect of the digital economy and emerging as the key factor underlying its net carbon-reducing impact. Based on these results, the paper provides policy recommendations to better leverage the digital economy in supporting regional carbon reduction. Full article

As regional integration accelerates globally, green development has emerged as a pivotal imperative for reconciling economic growth with environmental sustainability. This study employs a Difference-in-Differences framework incorporating city and year fixed effects to examine the impact of regional integration on green development efficiency in China’s Yangtze River Delta. The empirical findings reveal that regional integration significantly undermines green development efficiency, a conclusion corroborated by rigorous robustness checks including parallel trends and placebo tests. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that trade openness and digital economy development function as partial mediating channels that modestly attenuate the direct adverse effect of regional integration, whereas the decline in secondary industry agglomeration amplifies the negative impact. Notably, innovation capability has yet to fully unlock its potential for green transformation, it intensifies the negative effects of regional integration across all three mediating mechanisms. Building on these findings, this study proposes policy recommendations including strengthening multi-level green governance frameworks, integrating ecological compensation and carbon trading systems, advancing low-carbon trade structures, promoting the synergistic development of digitalization and green transformation, facilitating the green transition of secondary industries, and reinforcing green technology innovation. These insights provide empirical evidence and policy references for achieving coherence between regional integration and sustainable development objectives. Full article

In the context of the digital economy reshaping the global competitive landscape, digital industry clusters have become the key driving force to overcome the diminishing returns of traditional inputs and realize sustainable economic development in the digital era. However, the internal mechanisms and spatial effects through which digital industrial clusters drive high-quality development and thereby foster sustainable regional economic growth remain unclear. Based on China’s provincial panel data from 2012 to 2023, this study constructs time-fixed spatial Durbin model and mediation effect model to systematically examine the impact mechanism of digital industry clusters on high-quality economic development, and to analyze their direct effects, spatial spillover effects and mediation transmission effects. The following effects have been found: (1) digital industry clusters can directly promote the high-quality development of the region’s economy (0.070), and can also significantly promote the high-quality development of the region’s economy through the mediating effect of innovative talent agglomeration (0.021); (2) the spatial spillover effect of digital industry clusters consists of the negative siphoning effect of innovative talent and positive technology diffusion and driving effect, which makes the total effect of digital industry clusters on neighboring regions uncertain; (3) Technology-intensive areas, as well as the eastern and northeastern regions, have effectively transformed the advantages of digital industry clusters into momentum for high-quality economic development, whereas central and western regions have not yet fully unleashed the driving effect of digital industry on the high-quality development of the economy, due to the constraints of the industrial structure, innovation factors and infrastructure. Based on the empirical results, the article suggests accelerating the construction of digital industry innovation hubs, establishing cross-regional technology sharing platforms, constructing a negative externality compensation mechanism for talent loss areas, and implementing differentiated regional development strategies. The study addresses a gap in existing research by analyzing the spatial mediation effects of digital industrial agglomeration on high-quality economic development. It extends theoretical insights into industrial clustering within the digital economy and offers actionable policy pathways for developing countries to promote sustainable economic growth through digital industrial clusters. Full article

Driven by the digital transformation of global value chains and the digital economy strategy outlined in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, international trade competition is increasingly centered on digital technology ecosystems. This study addresses the gap in existing research that often overlooks the critical role of cities as key nodes in digital technology and global value chains, as well as the mechanisms through which the digital economy influences urban export trade. Using panel data from 273 prefecture-level Chinese cities between 2006 and 2022, we apply fixed effects, mediation, and multiple threshold regression models to analyze the mechanisms and nonlinear effects of the digital economy on urban export performance. Results show that the digital economy significantly facilitates urban export trade, with its marginal impact moderated by regional development levels and factor endowment structures. Eastern and central cities exhibit stronger export-driving effects, benefiting from resource agglomeration. Technological innovation and human capital accumulation are identified as the main transmission channels through which the digital economy promotes export upgrading. Additionally, the relationship between digital economy development and export trade demonstrates significant nonlinear characteristics across different regional economic development stages. The study emphasizes bridging the regional digital divide and enhancing technological innovation and human capital efficiency to drive digital transformation and boost urban export vitality. Full article

The digital economy injects developmental momentum into urban–rural integration through technological penetration, while urban–rural integration expands application scenarios for the digital economy via spatial restructuring. By clarifying the coupling coordination mechanism between these two subsystems, this study employs the coupling coordination degree model, spatial autocorrelation analysis, Markov chain, and spatiotemporal geographically weighted regression model to systematically investigate the development levels of the digital economy and urban–rural integration, the dynamic evolution characteristics of their coupling coordination degree, and the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of influencing factors across 31 provinces of China from 2012 to 2022. The main findings are as follows: (1) The digital economy level exhibited a pronounced upward trajectory with substantial inter-provincial disparities, while urban–rural integration level displayed a modest upward trend accompanied by evident polarization. (2) The coupling coordination degree increased steadily, with the number of provinces experiencing moderate and mild imbalance declining markedly and the contiguous zone of near imbalance expanding. Spatially, the pattern was characterized as “high in the east, low in the west.” (3) The coupling coordination degree exhibited significant positive spatial correlation. High-High agglomeration was concentrated in the eastern coastal regions, while Low-Low agglomeration dominated the western inland areas. The dynamic transfer of the coupling coordination degree revealed a distinct “club convergence” phenomenon. (4) Government support and technological innovation exerted increasingly positive effects on the coupling coordination degree in northeast and north China. Economic development initially exerted a significant positive effect in northwest and southern China, but its impact subsequently shifted to regions north of the Yellow River basin. In several southwest provinces, the influence of industrial structure transitioned from positive to negative. Full article