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Keywords

industrial digitization, regional innovation efficiency, human capital level

Abstract

In recent years, the digital technology revolution has brought tremendous changes to the industrial landscape, and industrial digitization has become a crucial means of achieving economic growth and development. With the increasing popularity of the internet and other advanced digital technologies, industrial digitization has been used as a main tool to reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and improve product quality, which has brought new opportunities for improving regional innovation efficiency. The Yangtze River Delta region of China, as one of the most developed regions in the country, has been a leader in industrialization and urbanization. As a result, it has drawn significant attention in terms of research on industrial digitization and innovation efficiency. The region has a strong foundation in terms of human capital, which makes it an ideal area to examine the impact of industrial digitization on regional innovation efficiency. In this context, this study focuses on the Yangtze River Delta region of China as the research object, and panel data from the three provinces and one city in the region from 2011 to 2021 is used to analyze the impact of industrial digitization on regional innovation efficiency. The study employs data envelopment analysis and entropy weighting method to measure the level of industrial digitization and innovation efficiency index, and an econometric model is constructed to empirically test the impact of industrial digitization on regional innovation efficiency. The results show that, based on the given hypothesis, industrial digitization can significantly improve regional innovation efficiency. Moreover, the mechanism analysis found that industrial digitization can positively influence the level of regional innovation efficiency by improving the level of regional human capital. Specific-ally, the study found that industrial digitization has a positive impact on regional innovation efficiency by enhancing the ability of regional firms to innovate, reduce transaction costs, and increase access to global markets. Furthermore, the study found that the improvement of regional human capital, such as education, training, and experience, is a key factor in achieving this goal. In other words, the study suggests that the development of human capital is essential for the success of industrial digitization and innovation efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta region. In conclusion, this study provides useful insights into the relationship between industrial digitization and innovation efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta region. The findings suggest that industrial digitization is an important means of promoting regional innovation efficiency, and that the improvement of regional human capital is a key factor in achieving this goal. Based on the findings of the study, this paper puts forward targeted policy suggestions, which provide beneficial enlightenment for the digital transformation of industries in the Yangtze River Delta region of China to promote the improvement of regional innovation efficiency. For example, policies could include accelerating the pace of industrial digitization in the Yangtze River Delta region to improve regional innovation efficiency, or local governments could issue policies that are conducive to talent development, providing better opportunities and environments for talent. Overall, this study highlights the importance of industrial digitization and human capital development for regional economic growth and development.

DOI

10.16315/j.stm.2023.03.007

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