Search Results (64)

Improving regional supply chain resilience is crucial for achieving high-quality growth, especially in light of complicated international dynamics and national security strategies. This study focuses on a sample of A-share listed enterprises from six central provinces between 2013 and 2023, primarily employing a fixed-effects model to investigate the mechanisms through which corporate digital transformation influences supply chain resilience and its differentiated performance across regional heterogeneity. Findings reveal that digital transformation improves corporate supply chain resilience, both directly and indirectly by reducing supply chain concentration. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that this effect is more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises, non-digital economy industries, larger-scale enterprises, and firms located in the Yangtze River Midstream Urban Agglomeration. Comparative analysis shows that digitalization’s impact on supply chain resilience in the central region is still in its early stages, compared to the eastern coastline provinces. The paper identifies two methods by which digital transformation affects supply chain resilience, offering theoretical foundations and practical recommendations for developing diversified regional industrial policies and driving supply chain modernization in the central area. Full article

The Chinese government has promoted intelligent, green, and integrated transformation to advance sustainable manufacturing. Central to this strategy is the Service-Oriented Manufacturing Demonstration (SOMD) policy, which aims to deepen manufacturing-service integration. However, its regional spillovers and transmission mechanisms remain unclear. Using China’s county-level panel data from 2015 to 2023, we exploit the staggered national rollout of the SOMD policy as a quasi-natural experiment, employing a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) design. We find that the policy significantly increases both the number and share of new manufacturing firms among total business entries by fostering diversified agglomeration of producer services and reducing manufacturers’ operational costs. This effect is highly context-dependent and occurs only when new producer service firms constitute 60% to 98% of all new service entrants. Moreover, we identify a sustainability trade-off, as it stimulates regional economic activity through manufacturing entry but suppresses overall business formation. These findings suggest that achieving balanced sustainable manufacturing requires moving beyond narrow sectoral growth targets toward fostering an integrated industrial ecosystem that strengthens both manufacturing resilience and service-sector dynamism. Full article

In the context of advancing sustainable urban development, the spatial organization of industries plays a critical role in shaping environmental quality, economic vitality, and public health. This study examines the health effects of furniture enterprises agglomeration in Chinese cities, using a unique dataset combining point-of-interest (POI) big data and micro-level survey responses from 13,217 individuals. The results show that a one-unit increase in furniture enterprises agglomeration intensity is associated with a 0.656-unit improvement in physical health and a 0.060-unit improvement in mental health. These benefits are driven by three synergistic mechanisms: environmental improvement, income growth, and enhanced public health services. However, the health gains are unevenly distributed, with greater benefits observed in less-developed cities and among vulnerable groups such as low-skilled and middle-aged workers. We further reveal divergent effects between specialized and diversified agglomeration patterns, moderated by environmental regulation. Our findings underscore the need for health-oriented industrial policies that align with sustainable urban planning, emphasizing spatial adaptation, targeted support for vulnerable populations, and innovative regulatory approaches to foster both industrial growth and resident well-being. Full article

As the fundamental spatial carriers of population and economic activities, cities are central to advancing Chinese-style modernization, making the enhancement of their comprehensive carrying capacity (CCP) an essential pathway toward sustainable development. Drawing on panel data from 284 prefecture-level cities in China covering the period of 2005–2022, this study constructs a dynamic spatial Durbin model to examine how different forms of industrial agglomeration influence urban CCP. The results indicate the following: (1) Urban CCP demonstrates significant spatial dependence across cities. (2) Both specialization and diversification exert pronounced spatiotemporal lag effects. Specifically, specialized agglomeration tends to suppress the urban CCP of both local and neighboring cities, whereas diversified agglomeration generally contributes to its improvement. (3) The spatiotemporal effects of specialized agglomeration and diversified agglomeration on urban CCP exhibit heterogeneity across regions and economic development levels. Diversified agglomeration significantly enhances the CCP of cities in the central region and those with higher economic development levels, while the western region and cities with lower economic development levels are more suited for industrial specialized agglomeration. (4) Further research has found that specialized agglomeration and diversified agglomeration have heterogeneous spatiotemporal effects on different dimensions of urban CCP. These findings suggest that governments at all levels should formulate differentiated industrial agglomeration strategies that align with local resource endowments and industrial foundations, thereby fostering high-quality urban development tailored to local conditions. Full article

The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region has experienced rapid development in its tourism industry, establishing itself as a leading force within China’s tourism sector. However, significant regional disparities continue to hinder its sustainable development. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution of domestic tourist flows and tourism industry agglomeration patterns in the region. Using city-level data from 2016 to 2022, the analysis employs a comprehensive methodology including standard deviation, coefficient of variation, standard deviation ellipse, and locational entropy. The main findings are as follows: (1) In the pre-pandemic period (2016–2019), absolute disparities in tourist flows widened, whereas relative disparities narrowed. During the pandemic (2020–2022), absolute disparities decreased, while relative disparities initially increased before contracting. (2) Tourist flows displayed a southeast–northwest gradient, with high-value areas clustered along the southeastern coast. Standard deviation ellipse analysis reveals that tourist flows were primarily distributed along the eastern coastal corridor, parallel to the coastline. Prior to the pandemic, tourism growth showed a tendency toward spatial equilibrium; however, this trend was disrupted during the pandemic, resulting in a more decentralized spatial pattern. (3) Throughout the pandemic, tourism industry concentration increased significantly in most cities. Cities with renowned scenic attractions and diversified economic structures demonstrated stronger resilience, while those heavily reliant on tourism were more vulnerable to the pandemic’s effects. Full article

The increasing urgency of global sustainability challenges has elevated the role of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as benchmarks for both academic research and policy development. Within the European Union, measuring how national research systems contribute to SDG-related knowledge is critical for guiding evidence-based policymaking and evaluating progress toward the 2030 Agenda. Since the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda, research related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has expanded significantly, reflecting their central role in guiding both global and European science policy. Despite this growing attention, systematic comparative evidence on how EU27 countries contribute to SDG-related knowledge production remains limited. This study provides a bibliometric analysis of research related to the SDGs across EU27 countries between 2019 and 2023. Drawing on data from Elsevier’s Scopus and SciVal platforms, we examine publication volume, relative share (RS), citation impact (FWCI), growth dynamics (CAGR), and thematic distributions. The dataset includes all document types associated with SDG1–SDG16. Germany, Italy, and France lead in absolute publication output, while smaller member states such as Cyprus, Malta, and Luxembourg display disproportionately high RS values. Health-related research (SDG3) dominates, followed by SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), whereas socially oriented goals (SDG2 and SDG5) remain underrepresented. Hierarchical cluster analysis, validated through silhouette and agglomeration tests, identifies three groups of countries: (1) high-output, high-impact Northern and Western leaders; (2) diversified performers with balanced portfolios; and (3) emerging contributors from Eastern and Southern Europe. Explanatory analyses link bibliometric outcomes to contextual variables, showing strong correlations with Horizon Europe funding per capita and international collaboration, and moderate associations with GDP per capita and GERD. Institutional-level findings highlight the prominence of leading universities and research institutes, particularly in health sciences. The study introduces a robust cluster-based typology and a multidimensional framework that connects bibliometric performance with economic capacity, research investment, EU funding participation, and collaboration intensity. Policy recommendations are proposed to strengthen thematic balance, improve equitable participation in EU research programs, and foster international cooperation across the European Research Area. Full article

In the contemporary economic landscape shaped by globalization and digital transformation, patent-intensive industries have emerged as critical engines for enhancing national competitiveness. This study analyzed 98,464 collaborative patent application records (2012–2023) from listed companies in patent-intensive sectors, sourced from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) database. Through kernel density estimation, social network analysis, and community detection techniques, we examined the evolutionary trajectories of innovation networks and spatial patterns within these industrial clusters. Our findings indicate a notable spatial agglomeration trend in patent-intensive industries, exhibiting a prominent “core-periphery” structural feature. The core nodes of this cluster network closely align with economically developed regions, and the network structure has gradually shifted from a triangular framework supported by Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta to a diversified multilateral framework. Moreover, the community structure of the collaborative network within China’s patent-intensive industrial clusters exhibits distinct characteristics driven by technological relevance and strategic synergy, rather than strictly adhering to the principle of geographical proximity. These discoveries not only enrich the application of innovation network theory in the specific context of China, but also provide valuable guidance for cluster enterprises in selecting partners and achieving collaborative innovation. Full article

Rural tourism agglomerations are increasingly viewed as catalysts for diversified regional growth, integrated rural revitalization, and improved farmer prosperity. However, most studies focus on urban and developed regions, leaving spatial patterns and evolutionary mechanisms in underdeveloped rural areas poorly understood. This study takes Jilin Province, an economically lagging region, as an example, measuring rural tourism agglomeration using spatial analysis methods including the Gini coefficient, nearest-neighbor index, Ripley’s K function, kernel density, and buffer analysis. Results show that agglomeration is significant and strengthening over time, with clear regional variations. All types of rural tourism products exhibit an “increase followed by decrease” pattern across spatial scales, evolving from isolated “nodes” to continuous “areas”. Agglomeration is subject to triple constraints from natural, economic, and social dimensions. This study suggests that high-quality rural tourism development should leverage point–axis spillover from flagship scenic areas, promote surface expansion of characteristic villages and towns, and strengthen network connectivity through roads and talent-information channels. Full article

The historic landscape and the value of the ancient city in the stock era present a diversified and mixed problem; as such, this study explores a quantifiable spatial correlation method for landscape layering characteristics and value space, in order to provide support for the urban renewal paths that integrate historical and contemporary needs. Taking as an example Chaozhou Ancient City, a renowned historical and cultural city in China, this study draws on the theory of historical urban landscape layering and comprehensively uses historical graphic interpretation, GIS spatial quantitative analysis, the single-land-use dynamic degree model, the Analytic Network Process, and the Delphi method to quantitatively analyze and evaluate the landscape layering characteristics and value space of the ancient city. Meanwhile, it explores the relationship between the historical landscape layering characteristics and value space of ancient cities using the spatial autocorrelation model and the coupling coordination modulus model. The key findings are as follows: (1) The high-layer space (66.1%) and high-value space (31.1%) of the historic landscape of Chaozhou Ancient City show significant mismatch and imbalance. Spatially, layer spaces increase from the city center toward the periphery, whereas value spaces decrease from the center outward, demonstrating marked spatial heterogeneity. (2) The layer–value space shows a spatial distribution of agglomeration, with Moran’s I index values of 0.2712 and 0.6437, respectively. The agglomeration degree of the value space is much higher than that of the layer space, and both show significant non-equilibrium and associative coupling. (3) Coupling coordination: basically balanced (D = 0.56) indicates a transition toward a more integrated state, although 48% of the region remains in a state of severe dysfunction, mainly consisting of two types of spaces: “high-layer–high-value” and “low-layer–low-value.” These two dysfunctional types should be prioritized in future conservation and renewal strategies. This study provides a more comprehensive quantitative analysis path for identifying and evaluating the landscape layer–value space of the ancient city, providing visualization tools and decision-making support for the future protection and renewal of Chaozhou Ancient City and the declaration of the World Heritage. Full article

The rapid development of the digital economy and the pursuit of green transformation are reshaping the innovation landscape of Chinese firms. However, limited attention has been paid to how digital industry agglomeration (DIA) influences corporate green innovation (CGI) at the firm level. Drawing on panel data from China’s A-share listed firms between 2017 and 2021, this study examines the differential effects of specialized agglomeration and diversified agglomeration of digital industry on CGI. The results indicate that DIA can promote CGI, with a 1% increase in DIA associated with a 1.503% increase in green innovation output. Further analysis reveals that specialized agglomeration exerts a significant positive effect, while diversified agglomeration has no evident impact. Our mechanism analysis indicates that knowledge spillovers serve as the key channel through which DIA fosters CGI. Moreover, heterogeneous effects analysis indicates that DIA exerts a stronger influence on non-high-tech enterprises and in regions where environmental regulation is less stringent. Drawing on these insights, fostering specialized digital clusters and strengthening knowledge-sharing mechanisms can help alleviate existing constraints on innovation diffusion, accelerating green innovation and supporting long-term sustainability. Full article

Research on ecosystem carbon sequestration services and ecological compensation is crucial for advancing carbon neutrality. As a public good, ecosystem carbon sequestration services inherently lead to externalities. Therefore, it is essential to consider externalities in the flow of sequestration services. However, few studies have examined intra- and inter-regional ecosystem carbon sequestration flows, making regional ecosystem carbon sequestration flows less comprehensive. Against this background, the research objectives of this paper are as follows. The flow of carbon sequestration services between Henan Province and out-of-province regions is studied. In addition, this study clarifies the beneficiary and supply areas of carbon sink services in Henan Province and the neighboring regions at the prefecture-level city scale to obtain a more systematic, comprehensive, and actual flow of carbon sequestration services for scientific and effective eco-compensation and to promote regional synergistic emission reductions. The research methodologies used in this paper are as follows. First, this study adopts a meta-coupling framework, designating Henan Province as the focal system, the Central Urban Agglomeration as the adjacent system, and eight surrounding provinces as remote systems. Regional carbon sequestration was assessed using net primary productivity (NEP), while carbon emissions were evaluated based on per capita carbon emissions and population density. A carbon balance analysis integrated carbon sequestration and emissions. Hotspot analysis identified areas of carbon sequestration service supply and associated benefits. Ecological radiation force formulas were used to quantify service flows, and compensation values were estimated considering the government’s payment capacity and willingness. A three-dimensional evaluation system—incorporating technology, talent, and fiscal capacity—was developed to propose a diversified ecological compensation scheme by comparing supply and beneficiary areas. By modeling the ecosystem carbon sequestration service flow, the main results of this paper are as follows: (1) Within Henan Province, Luoyang and Nanyang provided 521,300 tons and 515,600 tons of carbon sinks to eight cities (e.g., Jiaozuo, Zhengzhou, and Kaifeng), warranting an ecological compensation of CNY 262.817 million and CNY 263.259 million, respectively. (2) Henan exported 3.0739 million tons of carbon sinks to external provinces, corresponding to a compensation value of CNY 1756.079 million. Conversely, regions such as Changzhi, Xiangyang, and Jinzhong contributed 657,200 tons of carbon sinks to Henan, requiring a compensation of CNY 189.921 million. (3) Henan thus achieved a net ecological compensation of CNY 1566.158 million through carbon sink flows. (4) In addition to monetary compensation, beneficiary areas may also contribute through technology transfer, financial investment, and talent support. The findings support the following conclusions: (1) it is necessary to consider the externalities of ecosystem services, and (2) the meta-coupling framework enables a comprehensive assessment of carbon sequestration service flows, providing actionable insights for improving ecosystem governance in Henan Province and comparable regions. Full article

Enhancing human well-being is a core priority of the Sustainable Development Goals. Understanding urban–rural well-being disparities is crucial for bridging gaps and improving social harmony. However, most existing studies focus on either urban or rural residents’ well-being, neglecting their disparities. This study quantified and compared the spatiotemporal patterns of the well-being of urban and rural residents in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration from 2000 to 2020 using the human development index (HDI). Results show the following: (1) Urban and rural well-being improved markedly from 2000 to 2020, with urban HDI increasing from 0.66 to 0.83 and rural HDI from 0.55 to 0.74. (2) Urban education and rural income inequalities were more pronounced, with the average Gini coefficients over 2000–2020 more than threefold and twofold those of urban and rural health, respectively. (3) Although disparities existed between urban and rural well-being, rural HDI had grown faster between 2000 and 2020, narrowing the urban–rural gap. From 2000 to 2020, the growth rate for rural HDI (34.55%) exceeded that for urban HDI (27.13%). To foster the shared urban and rural well-being, this study recommends diversifying rural industries, optimizing educational resources, and enhancing rural healthcare infrastructure in the YRD and beyond. Full article

With the increase in greenwashing, corporate greenwashing governance has become a crucial component of urban environmental management. Industrial clusters are a key form of urban economic organization, yet the mechanisms through which they affect corporate greenwashing remain unclear. This study examines how different types of industrial agglomeration influence corporate greenwashing using a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies. The key findings include the following: (1) Specialized agglomeration inhibits corporate greenwashing through a “supervision” effect generated by intra-industry competition, while diversified agglomeration exacerbates greenwashing via a “collusion” effect arising from inter-industry cooperation. (2) The inhibitory role of specialized agglomeration is amplified under conditions of low public and strong government environmental concern, while the promotional effect of diversified agglomeration becomes more pronounced in contexts of high public and weak government environmental concern. Government environmental concern can be categorized into “general” and “specific” types, with the former being more effective in governing corporate greenwashing. (3) Specialized agglomeration demonstrates superior efficacy in curbing greenwashing among firms with green innovations related to energy-saving, alternative energy production, waste management, and transportation, while diversified agglomeration intensifies greenwashing tendencies in firms without green innovations. (4) Collusive greenwashing under diversified agglomeration yields short-term firm value gains but incurs hidden costs, including elevated operational risks and declining profit margins. This research provides critical insights for promoting corporate green transition and fostering zero-carbon industrial clusters. Full article

This research aimed to investigate whether transformation of the industrial sector in a region could improve industrial land use efficiency. Taking the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China as the research area, we compiled socioeconomic panel data from 2000 to 2020 in order to analyze the impact of the transformation of industrial sectors in an area on industrial land use efficiency from two dimensions: industrial structural optimization and industrial spatial layout. The research results show the following: (1) The rationalization and upgrading of the industrial sector, as well as the professional agglomeration of industry and diversified industrial agglomeration, have improved the efficiency of industrial land use. (2) The impact of industrial rationalization on industrial land use efficiency presents an inverted U-shaped curve, whereby the impact of industrial upgrading on industrial land use efficiency has a relatively small spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The spatiotemporal changes in the impact of industrial specialized agglomeration on industrial land use efficiency are relatively small, while the spatiotemporal changes in the impact of industrial diversified agglomeration on industrial land use efficiency are more obvious. (3) There is obvious spatial heterogeneity in the two dimensions industrial structural optimization and industrial spatial layout in the three sub-regions when improving industrial land use efficiency. Full article

Digital economy industrial agglomeration is significant for economic development and the realization of “dual carbon” goals. Based on the point of interest (POI) data of digital enterprises, this study uses kernel density estimation, a fixed-effect model, a spatial Durbin model, and other methods to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of digital industrial agglomeration in the four major urban clusters along the east coast of China and examines their corresponding influence on carbon emissions, including spatial spillover effects. The key conclusions are as follows: First, digital industry development and the degree of agglomeration display increasing trends. The degree of agglomeration is high in the east and low in the west, with high-value areas characterized by core prominence and orderly expansion. Second, a negative relationship is observed between digital industrial agglomeration and carbon emissions, with specialized agglomeration significantly reducing carbon emissions, while diversified agglomeration has a weaker effect. Third, the influence of digital industrial agglomeration on carbon emissions exhibits spatial spillover effects with heterogeneity. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of regional digital industry agglomeration and have significance as a reference for the formulation of energy conservation and carbon-reduction policies. Full article