Digital industry agglomeration and urban innovation : evidence from China

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between digital economy and urban innovation from the perspective of economic agglomeration. Based on a panel data set of 285 Chinese cities from 2009 to 2019 and the classification of the digital industry by the National Bureau of Statistics, this study shows that an increased level of digital industry agglomeration significantly contributes to urban innovation, with more pronounced effects observed in larger cities and those in eastern and western regions. Further analysis of industry heterogeneity reveals that digital industry agglomeration not only boosts innovation within the digital industry but also enhances it in non-digital industries. Additionally, digital industry agglomeration appears more conducive to promoting innovation in green technology industries than in non-green technology industries. The mechanism analysis reveals the mediating effect of data capital accumulation, market size expansion, and digital technology spillover on urban innovation. The Sobel test reveals that data capital accumulation has the largest mediating effect on total patents, while digital technology spillover has the strongest mediating effect on invention patents. This study enriches the existing understanding of the agglomeration effect of the digital industry on urban innovation and sheds light on the mechanisms driving urban innovation in emerging economies.