Ziyuan Kexue (Nov 2023)
The threshold effect of digital economy to promote the high-quality development of resource-based cities in China
Abstract
[Objective] The rapid development of the digital economy can better integrate various resources, promote the integration of new technologies and traditional industries, and provide new ideas for the high-quality development of China’s resource-based cities. [Methods] Based on the linear and nonlinear mechanisms of the digital economy affecting the high-quality development of resource-based cities, and using the annual panel data of 115 resource-based prefecture-level cities from 2011 to 2020, this study employed the entropy weight method to measure the high-quality development and digital economy development level of resource-based cities, and a two-way fixed-effect panel model and panel threshold model were constructed to explore the impact of digital economy on the high-quality development of resource-based cities. [Results] The results show that: (1) On the whole, the digital economy has promoted the high-quality development of China’s resource-based cities. (2) The role of digital economy in promoting the high-quality development of resource-based cities was enhanced with the increase of Internet coverage, government investment in scientific research, talent cultivation, and active entrepreneurship, showing significant threshold characteristics. (3) The impact of the digital economy on the high-quality development of different types of resource-based cities presented different characteristics. The positive impact of the digital economy on declining cities and regenerative cities was the most significant, but weak on mature cities and insignificant on growth cities. [Conclusion] Strengthening the construction of digital infrastructure, improving the level of government investment in scientific research, increasing the cultivation of talents, and promoting entrepreneurship and the innovative spirit of entrepreneurs are particularly important for enhancing the positive impact of the digital economy on the high-quality development of China’s resource-based cities.
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