Search Results (36)

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing technologies, the penetration of industrial robots into Chinese markets has profoundly reshaped the structure of the labor market. However, existing studies have largely concentrated on the employment substitution effect and the diffusion path of these technologies, while systematic analyses of how industrial robots affect labor resource allocation efficiency across different regional and industrial contexts in China remain scarce. In particular, research on the mechanisms and heterogeneity of these effects is still underdeveloped, calling for deeper investigation into their transmission channels and policy implications. Drawing on panel data from 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2023, this paper employs a Bartik-style instrumental variable approach to measure the level of industrial robot penetration and constructs a two-way fixed effects model to assess its impact on urban labor misallocation. Furthermore, the analysis introduces two mediating variables, industrial upgrading and urban innovation capacity, and applies a mediation effect model combined with Bootstrap methods to empirically test the underlying transmission mechanisms. The results reveal that a higher level of industrial robot adoption is significantly associated with a lower degree of labor misallocation, indicating a notable improvement in labor resource allocation efficiency. Heterogeneity analysis shows that this effect is more pronounced in cities outside the Yangtze River Economic Belt, in those experiencing severe population aging, and in areas with a relatively weak manufacturing base. Mechanism tests further indicate that industrial robots indirectly promote labor allocation efficiency by facilitating industrial upgrades and enhancing innovation capacity. However, in the short term, improvements in innovation capacity may temporarily intensify labor mismatch due to structural frictions. Overall, industrial robots not only exert a direct positive impact on the efficiency of urban labor allocation but also indirectly contribute to resource optimization through structural transformation and innovation system development. These findings underscore the need to account for regional disparities and demographic structures when advancing intelligent manufacturing strategies. Policymakers should coordinate the development of vocational training systems and innovation ecosystems to strengthen the dynamic alignment between technological adoption and labor market restructuring, thereby fostering more inclusive and high-quality economic growth. Full article

This study aims to reveal the influence mechanism of innovation competition on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in Chinese local governments. Additionally, the study provides a theoretical basis for understanding how governments’ investment in science and technology breaks through key technological bottlenecks, enhances the innovation ability of enterprises, and promotes the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. Based on balanced panel data of 269 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2008 to 2021, the entropy value method is used to construct a comprehensive evaluation index of manufacturing development quality, and a two-way fixed-effect panel model is employed for the empirical analysis. The findings reveal that (1) for every 1% increase in local government investment in science and technology, the manufacturing high-quality development index will increase by 0.261%, indicating that local governments’ innovation competition significantly promotes the quality of manufacturing development; (2) enterprise innovation capacity plays a mediating role between government competition and manufacturing quality improvement; (3) the combined mechanism of innovation drive and promotion tournament results in a significant spatial strategic interaction of local governments’ innovation competition and a positive spillover effect on neighboring regions. Therefore, this study suggests that local governments implement different science and technology innovation investment strategies to optimize the allocation of innovation resources according to the regional manufacturing technology level. Full article

Environmental regulation has become a central policy tool for reconciling the tensions between ecological sustainability and industrial development. Although most existing studies focus on its impact on green innovation or firm behavioral change, attention to how environmental regulation affects the structural resilience of manufacturing systems under external shocks remains limited. This paper constructs a balanced panel dataset covering 287 prefecture-level cities in mainland China from 2006 to 2021 to quantify the impact of environmental regulation intensity on the resilience of manufacturing development. Manufacturing resilience is assessed through a comprehensive indicator system, including the dimensions of adaptive capacity, recovery potential, and industrial continuity. The empirical results show that environmental regulation has a significant inhibitory effect on manufacturing resilience, and this effect is supported in a number of robustness analyses using instrumental variable estimation and lagged structural tests. Mechanism analysis suggests that, despite the overall negative effect, environmental regulations can indirectly enhance resilience performance by promoting industrial autonomy and digital transformation under certain conditions. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the negative effect is more pronounced in regions with higher regulatory intensity, in non-self-employed firms, in industries not subject to U.S. sanctions, and in eastern China. These findings suggest that the dynamic needs of the industrial system should be taken into account in the formulation of environmental policies, and that digital capacity building and autonomy upgrading should be the key paths to mitigate regulatory shocks. Full article

Under the impetus of the global urbanization, the synergistic relationship between smart city policies and green innovation capabilities has emerged as a critical agenda for achieving sustainable development goals. While existing studies have explored the techno-economic effects of smart cities, systematic evidence remains scarce regarding their pathways and heterogeneous impacts on green growth. This study investigates the influence of smart city pilot policies on urban green growth trajectories and their heterogeneous characteristics. Leveraging panel data from 293 Chinese prefecture-level cities, we employ a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model with two-way fixed effects to control for unobserved city-specific and time-specific factors, complemented by robustness checks including parallel trend tests, placebo tests, and alternative dependent variable specifications. Data sources encompass the China City Statistical Yearbook, CNRDS, and CSMAR databases, covering core metrics such as green patent applications and grants, industrial upgrading indices, and environmental regulation intensity, with missing values being addressed via mean imputation. The findings demonstrate that smart city pilot policies significantly enhance green innovation levels in treated cities, with effects exhibiting pronounced spatial and resource-based heterogeneity; there are notably stronger impacts in non-resource-dependent cities and eastern regions. Mechanism analysis shows that policies are driven by a dual effect of industrial upgrading and environmental regulation. The former is manifested by the high substitution elasticity of the digital economy for traditional manufacturing, while the latter is reflected in the rising compliance costs of polluting enterprises. This research advances a cross-nationally comparable theoretical framework for understanding green transition mechanisms in smart city development while providing empirical benchmarks for policy design in emerging economies. Full article

In the context of Industry 4.0, the transformative integration of intelligent digitalization, sustainable practices, and cross-sectoral industrial convergence within manufacturing systems constitutes a strategic imperative for addressing global climate emergencies and accelerating resource scarcity. Using panel data from 279 prefecture-level cities and the multiperiod difference-in-differences (DID) approach, this study investigates the impact of intelligent manufacturing on urban green innovation efficiency and its heterogeneous effects. The results reveal that intelligent manufacturing significantly enhances urban green innovation efficiency through scale agglomeration, economic agglomeration, and talent agglomeration, with robustness confirmed by propensity score matching DID tests and double machine learning. In addition, financial development has a nonlinear moderating effect on this relationship. When financial development surpasses the critical threshold of 3.817, its positive moderating effect becomes significantly enhanced. Heterogeneity analyses demonstrate that the benefits of intelligent manufacturing are more pronounced in the middle and western regions, noncentral cities, and cities with advanced industrial intelligence, robust digital finance ecosystems, or stringent environmental regulations. These findings provide novel insights into the dynamic mechanisms through which intelligent manufacturing fosters green innovation, offering policymakers in developing economies a framework to tailor regional strategies, optimize governance systems, and harness intelligent manufacturing as a catalyst for sustainable, innovation-driven growth. Full article

The Chinese government has often been suspected of excessively intervening in the market. The reform of “Streamline Administration and Delegate Power, Improve Regulation, and Optimize Services” (RSDO) is a key initiative by the Chinese government to help enterprises improve their international competitive advantage through institutional reforms. Few studies have empirically tested the effects of RSDO on enterprises’ export diversification. Using the data of 2141 wood-processing enterprises (WPEs) in China in 2014, this study applies zero-truncated negative binomial regression and the Tobit model to evaluate the effects of prefecture-level RSDO on enterprises’ export product and market diversification. The results show that the RSDO can enhance WPEs’ export product diversification without significantly impacting export market diversification. Regarding specific indicators, the reforms of “Streamline Administration and Delegate Power” and “Improve Regulation” significantly positively affect export product and market diversification. In contrast, the optimization of government services shows no significant impact. Heterogeneity tests show that the RSDO promotes export diversification in wooden products and furniture manufacturing enterprises, smaller enterprises, domestic enterprises, and those with weaker operational capabilities. The impact mechanism shows that the RSDO aids sample enterprises in enhancing export product diversification by lowering operational costs and supports export market diversification by encouraging technological innovation. Full article

The choice between domestic and foreign production is one of the most important decisions not only for international business management but also for economic diplomacy and industrial policy. The reality is not a binary choice, but some firms use both. Why do companies maintain labour-intensive production in developed countries in the globalised world? To understand business challenges and strategies, this study examines small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the garment factory agglomeration in the North (Kenpoku) area of Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The in-depth case study, with a special focus on the six competitiveness factors of Japanese apparel firms, recognises that the ‘Made in Japan’ branding strategy is one of the effective ways to attract Japanese customers. This marketing strategy may motivate some firms to consider international market development. However, most Japanese SME apparel manufacturers play the role of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for specific domestic market-oriented apparel companies. To meet customers’ strict delivery requirements, our case SMEs are developing multi-skilled workers to cope with high-mix small-lot production and fast delivery simultaneously. This management innovation is essential for building long-term business relationships and trust with corporate apparel buyers and surviving competition from products made in China and other developing countries. Full article

To investigate the flavour evolution mechanism of raw Pu-erh tea (RPT) during storage, the volatile and non-volatile compounds of RPT with different storage years (1–10 years) from the same raw material origin, manufacturer, and storage location in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, were systematically analysed by HPLC, HS-SPME-GC-MS, and OAV. The results showed that both cluster analyses based on non-volatile and volatile compounds could classify RPT of different storage years into three ageing cycles, with key turning points in the third and eighth years of storage, which is also accompanied by the colour changing from green to orange or brown, the aroma changing from a faint scent to woody and ageing, the astringency diminishing, and the sweet and mellow increasing. Theophylline was identified as the potential marker of RPT stored 1–3 years, while (−)-catechin gallate, (−)-gallocatechin gallate, quercetin, and rutin as those for a storage of 9–10 years. The volatile compounds indicate a general trend of an initial increase followed by a decrease. Forty-four key aroma compounds (OAV ≥ 1) were identified. Eucalyptol, β-Caryophyllene, 2-Amylfuran, Copaene, Estragole, and α-Terpinene originated as potential markers for RPT stored 1–3 years, while (Z)-Linalool oxide (furanoid), α-Terpineol, Terpinen-4-ol, and cis-Anethol were for RPT stored 8–10 years. This study revealed the flavour characteristics and quality changes of RPT over the course of storage, and constructed a sensory flavour wheel, providing theoretical underpinnings for the quality control and assessment of RPT. Full article

Green manufacturing is an effective means for regions to reduce carbon emissions. It is a crucial approach for improving modern environmental governance and lays the foundation for the Chinese government’s push for green transformation, sustainable development, and the realization of carbon neutrality. This paper utilizes data from 277 cities at the prefecture level from 2009 to 2022, with the creation of green parks under the China Green Manufacturing System Demonstration Construction Project serving as a case study. It deeply explores the effect of green manufacturing on local carbon output. The study reveals that green manufacturing, represented by the establishment of green parks, significantly reduces urban carbon emissions. The mechanism analysis shows that enhancing industrial intelligence is a key channel for green manufacturing to curb urban carbon emissions, and the advancement stages of the digital economy, market unification, and financial innovation further amplify green manufacturing’s carbon reduction effects. The diversity analysis suggests that green park establishment exhibits a stronger effect in the eastern regions, areas with abundant factor endowments, superior institutional environments, and those with a non-industrial base. Further analysis shows that the green park demonstration projects also contribute to elevating regional green innovation levels. This paper explores the effect of green park establishments on reducing carbon emissions from the perspective of green manufacturing system construction, providing important theoretical and empirical insights for understanding how green manufacturing can enhance the levels of carbon emissions reduction and promote sustainable green advancement within dual-carbon objectives. Full article

Urban land is the primary location for manufacturing and services, facilitating the expansion and interconnectedness of economic activities and factor flows to shape various urban land-use performances (ULUP). Exploring these spatial linkages of urban land-use performance can play a crucial role in fostering cohesive urban development. Taking 109 prefecture-level cities as research samples, this paper explores the characteristics and influencing factors of the spatial network associated with ULUP in the Yangtze River Economic Belt through modified gravity model, network analysis and QAP analysis. The analysis shows that ULUP has shown an N-shaped trend over the past two decades. It has formed a network of correlations, with Chongqing, Shanghai, and Wuhan emerging as central nodes. Notably, the correlation predominantly occurs between geographically adjacent cities, with weaker links between the Yangtze River Economic Belt’s upstream, midstream, and downstream regions. The network can be divided into four distinct types: main inflow plate, main outflow plate, agent plate, and bidirectional spillover plate. Geographic location is the most significant factor influencing network formation, followed by resource mismatch, economic development, and openness. The study provides theoretical guidance and empirical support for improving the utilisation of urban land and promoting coordinated development. Full article

Tax policy is critical for business operations and export decisions. However, the relationship between tax sharing and export has been less frequently discussed. This paper explicitly examines the underexplored tax-sharing system’s effect on manufacturing exporters’ export quality and develops four hypotheses. We use data on Chinese manufacturing exporters and prefecture-level tax-sharing from 2008 to 2013 and employ an instrumental variable approach to alleviate the endogeneity problem. The empirical evidence supports our hypotheses. We find that an increase in the prefecture-level government tax-sharing ratio significantly reduces export product quality of firms. This quality effect can occur through channels, including tax burden effect, production scale effect, and innovation effect. Moreover, more productive firms and those operated in cities with stronger intellectual property protection can face a smaller quality-reducing effect. Our findings offer policy implications for improving China’s modernized tax system and trade upgrading. Policymakers should recalibrate the tax-sharing system to reduce the tax burden on manufacturing exporters, particularly for innovative and high-productivity firms, and bolster intellectual property rights to enhance export quality and support China’s trade and economic modernization. Full article

In this study, in order to clarify the impact of the use of domestic timber for wooden chairs on greenhouse gas (hereinafter referred to as GHG) emissions from the product life cycle, chairs made of foreign hardwoods (referred to as Product A and Product B) manufactured by two wooden furniture manufacturers (referred to as Companies A and B) in the Hida-Takayama region of Gifu Prefecture, respectively, were evaluated with regard to GHG emissions and carbon storage, as calculated from raw material procurement to product manufacturing. In addition, GHG emissions were calculated for the case where the origin of the hardwood was converted from overseas to Japanese local and regional production. As a result, GHG emissions when foreign hardwoods were used were 23.12 kg-CO₂e and 22.23 kg-CO₂e per leg for Product A and Product B, respectively, and carbon storage was 11.20 kg-CO₂ and 16.90 kg-CO₂. In addition, the conversion of hardwoods to local and regional origin was found to reduce GHG emissions by about 25% and 27% for Product A and about 20% and 21% for Product B, respectively. Full article

Relying on high penetration and strong diffusion capabilities, the digital economy is becoming a new driving force for industrial integration and development. It is of great significance to promote the coordinated development of manufacturing and producer services. This paper took panel data on 286 prefecture-level cities and above in China from 2011 to 2019 as its research object, and used the two-way fixed effect model, threshold effect model, and the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) as its econometric testing methods. This analysis explored the impact of the digital economy on the synergetic agglomeration between manufacturing and productive service industries in China. The results of the research showed that the synergetic agglomeration of industries is significantly promoted by the digital economy. This conclusion was still valid after an endogeneity test was carried out. The digital economy’s role was found to mainly involve promoting knowledge spillovers and expanding the market size. An in-depth analysis of the digital economy has enabled the collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and producer services in large, medium-sized, and small cities. The digital economy had the greatest effect on small cities, followed by medium-sized cities and large cities. The synergetic aggregation between the manufacturing and high-end producer services industries is significantly promoted by the digital economy. However, it was not found to have had a significant effect on the synergetic agglomeration between the manufacturing and low-end producer services industries. The impact of the digital economy on industrial collaborative agglomeration is nonlinear. Only when the level of the digital economy exceeds the threshold can the promoting effect of the digital economy on industrial collaborative agglomeration be manifested. In summary, the development of the digital economy was found to have promoted industrial collaboration and agglomeration in the study areas and their neighboring regions in the study period. The research results of this article are of great significance for achieving the goal of the “two-wheel drive” of the manufacturing and producer services industries, as well as high-quality economic development in China. Full article

The rapid development of China’s manufacturing industry has brought about environmental problems that have aroused people’s attention to improving carbon emission efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. In this paper, 13 prefecture-level cities in Hunan Province from 2010 to 2020 were selected as research samples, and the coupling coordination degree model and super-efficiency slacks-based measure (SBM) model were used to calculate the level of integration of “two industries” (manufacturing and producer services, short for “TI”) and the efficiency of carbon emissions. Then, hypotheses are established: The integration of TI can promote the improvement of carbon emission efficiency; The integration of TI promotes technological innovation; Technological innovation can promote carbon emission efficiency; Technological innovation is an intermediary in integrating TI affecting carbon emission efficiency. By using the fixed effect model and the mediation effect test method, we empirically analyze the influence of the integration of TI on carbon emission efficiency and the mediating role of technological innovation in this process. The conclusions are as follows: the integration of TI has a significant promoting effect on carbon emission efficiency; The integration of TI improves carbon emission efficiency by promoting technological innovation, and technological innovation bears part of the intermediary effect in the process of the impact of the integration of TI on carbon emission efficiency. The policy implications for improving carbon emission efficiency are proposed based on the research results. Full article

The Internet has profoundly affected the spatial structure of cities, but few relevant studies have investigated it from the perspective of manufacturing agglomeration. Using panel data of prefecture-level cities in China covering the period 2003–2019, this paper studies how the Internet affects manufacturing agglomeration. The results show that there is a U-shaped relationship between the Internet and manufacturing agglomeration, and the underlying channel can be the enhancement of market potential. Human capital can enhance the role of the Internet in promoting manufacturing agglomeration. The findings can contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between the Internet and urban spatial structure in developing countries. Full article