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Technological, process or managerial innovation? How does digital transformation affect green innovation in industrial enterprises?

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  • Kun Wang

    (Xinjiang University)

  • Bing Chen

    (Xinjiang University)

  • Yuhong Li

    (Xi’an Jiaotong University)

Abstract

Amidst the current wave of digitalization and the realization of the “dual-carbon” goal, the question of whether the digital transformation of enterprises (EDT) can drive green innovation (GI) and accelerate industrial enterprises to enter the sustainable and high-caliber advancement track has attracted much attention from academia and practitioners. Drawing on data collected from 1750 industrial enterprises listed publicly between 2011 and 2020, this paper seeks to examine the impact of EDT on GI (including technology, management, and process). It is found that: (1) EDT significantly improves the GI of industrial enterprises, and the marginal effect of this impact is reflected in green technology innovation (GTI) > green process innovation (GPI) > green management innovation (GMI). (2) EDT can promote GI through the factor reconstruction effect and risk mitigation effect. In addition, global network correlation can reinforce the positive effect of EDT on GI. (3) Further analysis shows that the GI incentive effect of EDT mainly comes from digital realization, followed by digital concept and digital support. (4) The heterogeneity analysis indicates that EDT has a significant effect on driving GI in the dual pilot cities of “innovation” + “low-carbon”. For heavily polluting industrial enterprises, EDT does not contribute to GI promotion in an obvious manner.

Suggested Citation

  • Kun Wang & Bing Chen & Yuhong Li, 2024. "Technological, process or managerial innovation? How does digital transformation affect green innovation in industrial enterprises?," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 1-32, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ecopln:v:57:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s10644-024-09598-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s10644-024-09598-w
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Enterprise digital transformation; Green innovation; Element reconstruction; Risk mitigation; Overseas network connectivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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