IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2021i1p216-d711452.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digital Economy, Technological Innovation and High-Quality Economic Development: Based on Spatial Effect and Mediation Effect

Author

Listed:
  • Chenhui Ding

    (Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China)

  • Chao Liu

    (School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing 210000, China
    Jiangsu Research Base of Yangtze Institute for Conservation and High-Quality Development, Nanjing 210000, China)

  • Chuiyong Zheng

    (Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China)

  • Feng Li

    (Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China)

Abstract

Technological innovation and high-quality economic development are inevitable requirements of sustainable development, and the digital economy has gradually become a new engine to enhance technological innovation and the high-quality development of China’s economy. Deeply discussing the effect of digital economy on high-quality economic development and clarifying the mechanism behind it can effectively grant the boosting power of digital economy to China’s high-quality development, which is of great practical significance to China’s sustainable economic development. In this study, the mechanism, effect, and regional heterogeneity of the impact of the digital economy on the level of high-quality economic development in 30 Chinese provinces from 2011–2019 were measured and empirically tested using a mediating effects model and a spatial Durbin model, among others. The results showed that the overall level of digital economy and high-quality development is not high, and there were both high agglomeration and low agglomeration, with obvious spatial path dependence and spatial lock-in. Digital economy could promote the high-quality development level of the economy, and the spatial spillover effect was remarkable. In addition, the function of digital economy in promoting high-quality economic development in the eastern, central, and western regions was gradually weakened. Besides, the technological innovation was an important transmission path of digital economy to high-quality economic development. Based on these findings, it is proposed that decision-makers should strengthen digitalization efforts so that the digital economy can become a powerful tool to narrow the digital divide. Further, the dynamic and differentiated digital economy development strategy should be implemented to reduce regional development imbalances in an effective manner.

Suggested Citation

  • Chenhui Ding & Chao Liu & Chuiyong Zheng & Feng Li, 2021. "Digital Economy, Technological Innovation and High-Quality Economic Development: Based on Spatial Effect and Mediation Effect," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2021:i:1:p:216-:d:711452
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/1/216/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/1/216/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nina Czernich & Oliver Falck & Tobias Kretschmer & Ludger Woessmann, 2011. "Broadband Infrastructure and Economic Growth," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 121(552), pages 505-532, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jun Wang & Guixiang Zhang, 2022. "Can Environmental Regulation Improve High-Quality Economic Development in China? The Mediating Effects of Digital Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-21, September.
    2. Qiguang An & Lin Zheng & Mu Yang, 2024. "Spatiotemporal Heterogeneities in the Impact of Chinese Digital Economy Development on Carbon Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-19, March.
    3. Wei Yang & Qiuxia Chen & Qiuqi Guo & Xiaoting Huang, 2022. "Towards Sustainable Development: How Digitalization, Technological Innovation, and Green Economic Development Interact with Each Other," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-17, September.
    4. Lin, Boqiang & Xu, Chongchong, 2024. "Reaping green dividend: The effect of China's urban new energy transition strategy on green economic performance," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).
    5. Akhtar, Shamim & Tian, Hongyun & Alsedrah, Ibrahim Tawfeeq & Anwar, Ahsan & Bashir, Shahid, 2024. "Green mining in China: Fintech's contribution to enhancing innovation performance aimed at sustainable and digital transformation in the mining sector," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    6. Feng, Yanchao & Gao, Yue & Xia, Xiqiang & Shi, Ke & Zhang, Ci & Yang, Le & Yang, Liwei & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier, 2024. "Identifying the path choice of digital economy to crack the “resource curse" in China from the perspective of configuration," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    7. Rui Cao & Yanling Xiao & Fengxue Yin, 2023. "Spatio-Temporal Evolution of High-Quality Development and the Impact of Carbon Emissions Trading Schemes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-18, February.
    8. Huangying Gu & Guanyu Guo & Chengming Li, 2024. "Treating the Symptoms as Well as the Root Causes: How the Digital Economy Can Mitigate the Negative Impacts of Land Resource Mismatches on Urban Ecological Resilience," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-21, September.
    9. Guangdi Zhang & Yaojun Ye & Mengya Sun, 2023. "Assessing the Static and Dynamic Efficiency of Digital Economy in China: Three Stage DEA–Malmquist Index Based Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, March.
    10. Olena Lukianykhina & Svitlana Suprunenko & Alla Slavkova & Oleh Skorba & Kostiantyn Zavrazhnyi, 2024. "Digital Innovations in the Fiscal Policy of Ukraine: Promoting Sustainable Economic Development," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 14(4), pages 77-86, July.
    11. Yunlong Cheng & Jian Yang, 2023. "Spatial and Temporal Divergence in the Coupling Coordination of Digital Economy, Environmental Regulation and Sustainable Development: An Experience Study in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-16, June.
    12. Xiaoli Hao & Xinhui Wang & Haitao Wu & Yu Hao, 2023. "Path to sustainable development: Does digital economy matter in manufacturing green total factor productivity?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 360-378, February.
    13. Pan, Yuxi & Zhang, Siqian & Zhang, Mengyue, 2024. "The impact of entrepreneurship of farmers on agriculture and rural economic growth: Innovation-driven perspective," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 3(1).
    14. Zhang, Meng & Wang, Hong & Wang, Hao & Osmadi, Atasya Binti, 2024. "Digital economy, land resource mismatch, and urban housing costs: Evidence from China's digital governance policy perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    15. Ding, Guoxuan & Kang, Nier, 2024. "The impact of digital financial inclusion on China's regional disparities in the quality of economic development: Based on the relational data paradigm," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 629-651.
    16. Yifei Zhou, 2024. "Does the Concept of Green Development Promote High-Quality Urban Development?—An Empirical Analysis Based on the Pilot Policy of the “Zero-Waste City” in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-19, September.
    17. Hongwei Dai & Yiwei Liu & Heyang Li & Aochen Cao, 2024. "Depth and Width of Collaborative Innovation Networks and High-Quality Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-30, July.
    18. Xin Tan & Jinfang Jiao & Ming Jiang & Ming Chen & Wenpeng Wang & Yijun Sun, 2024. "Digital Policy, Green Innovation, and Digital-Intelligent Transformation of Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-23, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tisdell, Clem, 2014. "Information Technology's Impacts on Productivity, Welfare and Social Change: Second Version," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 195701, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    2. Leopoldo Fergusson & Carlos Molina, 2020. "Facebook Causes Protests," HiCN Working Papers 323, Households in Conflict Network.
    3. Yi Li, 2020. "Internet Development and Structural Transformation: Evidence from China," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8.
    4. Ren, Siyu & Hao, Yu & Xu, Lu & Wu, Haitao & Ba, Ning, 2021. "Digitalization and energy: How does internet development affect China's energy consumption?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    5. Koski, Heli & Kretschmer, Tobias, 2010. "New product development and firm value in mobile handset production," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 42-50, March.
    6. Gregorio Gimenez & Luis Vargas-Montoya, 2021. "ICT Use and Successful Learning: The Role of the Stock of Human Capital," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(14), pages 1-15, July.
    7. Vahagn Jerbashian & Anna Kochanova, 2016. "The impact of doing business regulations on investments in ICT," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 991-1008, May.
    8. Espinoza, Héctor & Kling, Gerhard & McGroarty, Frank & O'Mahony, Mary & Ziouvelou, Xenia, 2020. "Estimating the impact of the Internet of Things on productivity in Europe," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 116391, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Hans Pitlik & Michael Klien & Stefan Schiman-Vukan, 2017. "Stabilitätskonforme Berücksichtigung nachhaltiger öffentlicher Investitionen," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 60595, April.
    10. Houpis, George & Serdarevic, Goran & Vetterle, Jonas, 2016. "Supply-side measures for policy makers to promote mobile broadband coverage," 27th European Regional ITS Conference, Cambridge (UK) 2016 148674, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    11. Emanuele Giovannetti & Claudio Piga, 2023. "The multifaceted nature of cooperation for innovation, ICT and innovative outcomes: evidence from UK Microdata," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(3), pages 639-666, September.
    12. Luca Maria Pesando & Valentina Rotondi & Manuela Stranges & Ridhi Kashyap & Francesco C. Billari, 2021. "The Internetization of International Migration," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 47(1), pages 79-111, March.
    13. Wolfgang Briglauer & Michał Grajek, 2021. "Effectiveness and efficiency of state aid for new broadband networks: Evidence from OECD member states," ESMT Research Working Papers ESMT-21-01, ESMT European School of Management and Technology.
    14. Elstner, Steffen & Grimme, Christian & Kecht, Valentin & Lehmann, Robert, 2022. "The diffusion of technological progress in ICT," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    15. Juan Jung & Enrique López-Bazo & Matteo Grazzi, 2017. "“Internet and enterprise productivity:evidence from Latin America”," AQR Working Papers 201705, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised May 2017.
    16. Gabriel Ahlfeldt & Pantelis Koutroumpis & Tommaso Valletti, 2017. "Speed 2.0: Evaluating Access to Universal Digital Highways," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 586-625.
    17. R. M. Melnikov & K. K. Furmanov, 2020. "Evaluating of Impact of Provision of Infrastructure on the Economic Development of Russian Regions," Regional Research of Russia, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 513-521, October.
    18. Abdulqadir, Idris A. & Asongu, Simplice A., 2022. "The asymmetric effect of internet access on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 44-61.
    19. Hong, Junjie & Shi, Fangyuan & Zheng, Yuhan, 2023. "Does network infrastructure construction reduce energy intensity? Based on the “Broadband China” strategy," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    20. George Charalampopoulos & Dimitris Katsianis & Dimitris Varoutas, 2022. "Economic replicability tests: an “out-of-the-box” implementation," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 115-138, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2021:i:1:p:216-:d:711452. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.