IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecanpo/v87y2025icp2083-2102.html

Study on the factors and paths of optimizing and upgrading the regional industrial structure: A hybrid analysis based on extended NCA and fsQCA

Author

Listed:
  • Wei, Wenwan
  • Yang, Sini

Abstract

To achieve high-quality development, China needs to continue to optimize and upgrade its industrial structure in light of actual factors and effectively release its hidden growth potential. This paper takes 31 provinces and cities in China as cases and adopts the extended NCA and fsQCA methods to investigate the configuration and paths that affect the upgrading of regional industrial structure. The findings show: First, none of the contributing factors to industrial structure optimizing and upgrading can, in isolation, serve as a necessary condition for achieving such advancement. Second, enhancing the structure of human capital and the level of intellectual property is of great significance. Third, each region should combine its own characteristics and adapt its measures to local conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei, Wenwan & Yang, Sini, 2025. "Study on the factors and paths of optimizing and upgrading the regional industrial structure: A hybrid analysis based on extended NCA and fsQCA," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 2083-2102.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecanpo:v:87:y:2025:i:c:p:2083-2102
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eap.2025.08.009
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0313592625003297
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eap.2025.08.009?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gould, David M. & Gruben, William C., 1996. "The role of intellectual property rights in economic growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 323-350, March.
    2. Yu Zhang Du & Qi Chao Liu & Kwok Wai Chen & Rui Qing Xiao & Shu Shen Li, 2023. "Ecosystem of Doing Business, Total Factor Productivity and Multiple Patterns of High-quality Development of Chinese Cities: A Configurational Research based on Complex System View," Journal of Management World, Academia Publishing Group, vol. 2023(2), pages 11-29.
    3. Giuliani, Elisa & Pietrobelli, Carlo & Rabellotti, Roberta, 2005. "Upgrading in Global Value Chains: Lessons from Latin American Clusters," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 549-573, April.
    4. Borui Yan & Bo Yao & Chenjing Zhang, 2023. "Industrial structure, high-quality development of logistics industry and the economy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(5), pages 1-18, May.
    5. Dieter Ernst, 1998. "Catching-Up, Crisis and Industrial Upgrading. Evolutionary Aspects of Technological Learning in Korea's Electronics Industry," DRUID Working Papers 98-16, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    6. Koen Frenken & Frank Van Oort & Thijs Verburg, 2007. "Related Variety, Unrelated Variety and Regional Economic Growth," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(5), pages 685-697.
    7. Patrick W. M. Huen & Jean Jinghan Chen & Ming-Hua Liu, 2021. "Macao’s Economy and Banking Industry," Springer Books, in: Seng Heng Bank, chapter 0, pages 9-22, Springer.
    8. Shaodong Shi & Xinbo Wang, 2024. "Analysis of human capital effects introducing Bayesian quantile regression in the process of industrial structural upgrading," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(7), pages 1-34, July.
    9. Sun, Xudong & Li, Jiashuo & Qiao, Han & Zhang, Bo, 2017. "Energy implications of China's regional development: New insights from multi-regional input-output analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 118-131.
    10. Dani Rodrik, 2016. "Premature deindustrialization," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-33, March.
    11. Zhang, Lixia & Sun, Huaping & Pu, Tianlong & Sun, Hui & Chen, Zhenling, 2024. "Do green finance and hi-tech innovation facilitate sustainable development? Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1430-1442.
    12. Da Gao & Tianyi Zhang & Xiaowei Liu, 2025. "The Urban Renewable Energy Transition: Impact Assessment and Transmission Mechanisms of Climate Policy Uncertainty," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-18, April.
    13. William Q Judge & Stav Fainshmidt & J Lee Brown III, 2014. "Which model of capitalism best delivers both wealth and equality?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(4), pages 363-386, May.
    14. Da Gao & Linfang Tan & Yue Chen, 2025. "Smarter is greener: can intelligent manufacturing improve enterprises’ ESG performance?," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    15. Dul, J., 2015. "Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA)," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2015-004-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    16. Zujie Zhang & Ghulam Rasool Madni & Jaweriya Naeem, 2023. "Unleashing the horizons of labor quality, digitalization on upgradation of industrial structure in Asian economies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(7), pages 1-13, July.
    17. Hajime Sato, 2013. "New Structural Economics: A Framework for Rethinking Development and Policy by Justin Yifu Lin , Washington, DC : World Bank , 2012 , xi + 371 pp," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 51(3), pages 323-326, September.
    18. Peter ven de Ven & Anne Harrison & Barbara Fraumeni & Barbara M. Fraumeni & Michael S. Christian & Jon D. Samuels, 2017. "The Accumulation of Human and Nonhuman Capital, Revisited," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 63, pages 381-410, December.
    19. Samuli Patala & Jouni K. Juntunen & Sarianna Lundan & Tiina Ritvala, 2021. "Multinational energy utilities in the energy transition: A configurational study of the drivers of FDI in renewables," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(5), pages 930-950, July.
    20. Zhao, Xin & Xu, Yong & Vasa, László & Shahzad, Umer, 2023. "Entrepreneurial ecosystem and urban innovation: Contextual findings in the lens of sustainable development from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    21. Da Gao & Linfang Tan & Yue Chen, 2025. "Unlocking Carbon Reduction Potential of Digital Trade: Evidence from China’s Comprehensive Cross-border E-Commerce Pilot Zones," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(1), pages 21582440251, February.
    22. César Hidalgo & Pierre-Alexandre Balland & Ron Boschma & Mercedes Delgado & Maryann Feldma & Koen Frenken & Edward Glaeser & Canfei He & Dieter F. Kogler & Andrea Morrison & Frank Neffke & David Rigby, 2018. "The Principle of Relatedness," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1830, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jul 2018.
    23. Gereffi, Gary, 1999. "International trade and industrial upgrading in the apparel commodity chain," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 37-70, June.
    24. Ponte, Stefano & Ewert, Joachim, 2009. "Which Way is "Up" in Upgrading? Trajectories of Change in the Value Chain for South African Wine," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 1637-1650, October.
    25. Pipkin, Seth & Fuentes, Alberto, 2017. "Spurred to Upgrade: A Review of Triggers and Consequences of Industrial Upgrading in the Global Value Chain Literature," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 536-554.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Eduardo Hernandez-Rodriguez & Ron Boschma & Andrea Morrison & Xianjia Ye, 2024. "Functional upgrading and downgrading in global value chains: The role of complementary interregional value chain linkages in EU regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2432, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Oct 2024.
    2. Yoruk, Deniz E., 2019. "Dynamics of firm-level upgrading and the role of learning in networks in emerging markets," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 341-369.
    3. R. Boschma & Eduardo Hernández-Rodríguez & A. Morrison & C. Pietrobelli, 2021. "Do global value chains and local capabilities matter for economic complexity in EU regions?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2139, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Dec 2021.
    4. Choksy, Umair Shafi & Ayaz, Muhammad & Al-Tabbaa, Omar & Parast, Mahour, 2022. "Supplier resilience under the COVID-19 crisis in apparel global value chain (GVC): The role of GVC governance and supplier’s upgrading," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 249-267.
    5. Rory Horner, 2022. "Global value chains, import orientation, and the state: South Africa’s pharmaceutical industry," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 68-87, March.
    6. Jan van der Borg & Erwin van Tuijl, 2011. "Upgrading of Symbolic and Synthetic Knowledge Bases: Analysis of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry and the Automotive Industry in China," Working Papers 2011_25, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    7. Valentina De Marchi & Elisa Giuliani & Roberta Rabellotti, 2018. "Do Global Value Chains Offer Developing Countries Learning and Innovation Opportunities?," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(3), pages 389-407, July.
    8. Saon Ray & Smita Miglani, 2020. "India's GVC integration: An analysis of upgrading efforts and facilitation of lead firms," Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) Working Paper 386, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi, India.
    9. Ziliang Deng & Xufei Ma & Ziyan Zhu, 2022. "Transactional Dependence and Technological Upgrading in Global Value Chains," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(2), pages 390-416, March.
    10. Ponte, Stefano & Kelling, Ingrid & Jespersen, Karen Sau & Kruijssen, Froukje, 2014. "The Blue Revolution in Asia: Upgrading and Governance in Aquaculture Value Chains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 52-64.
    11. Jan Fagerberg & Bengt-Åke Lundvall & Martin Srholec, 2018. "Global Value Chains, National Innovation Systems and Economic Development," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(3), pages 533-556, July.
    12. Eduardo Hernandez-Rodriguez, 2024. "Technological diversification through global value chains in European regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2429, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Sep 2024.
    13. Jean, Ruey Jer “Bryan”, 2014. "What makes export manufacturers pursue functional upgrading in an emerging market? A study of Chinese technology new ventures," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 741-749.
    14. Pietrobelli, Carlo & Rabellotti, Roberta, 2011. "Global Value Chains Meet Innovation Systems: Are There Learning Opportunities for Developing Countries?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 1261-1269, July.
    15. Tolentino-Zondervan, Frazen & Berentsen, Paul & Bush, Simon & Idemne, Joseph & Babaran, Ricardo & Lansink, Alfons Oude, 2016. "Comparison of Private Incentive Mechanisms for Improving Sustainability of Filipino Tuna Fisheries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 264-279.
    16. Alexandre Berthe & Pascal Grouiez, 2020. "Small Farm Upgrading in GVC: a Strategic Perspective," Working Papers halshs-02953123, HAL.
    17. Pipkin, Seth & Fuentes, Alberto, 2017. "Spurred to Upgrade: A Review of Triggers and Consequences of Industrial Upgrading in the Global Value Chain Literature," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 536-554.
    18. Valentina De Marchi & Matthew Alford, 2022. "State policies and upgrading in global value chains: A systematic literature review," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 88-111, March.
    19. Dan He & Manxin Zheng & Wei Cheng & Yui-yip Lau & Qingmei Yin, 2019. "Interaction between Higher Education Outputs and Industrial Structure Evolution: Evidence from Hubei Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-19, May.
    20. Stefano Ponte & Valentina De Marchi & Marco Bettiol & Eleonora di Maria, 2023. "The horizontal governance of environmental upgrading: Lessons from the Prosecco and Valpolicella wine value chains in Italy," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 55(8), pages 1884-1905, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:eee:ecanpo:v:87:y:2025:i:c:p:2083-2102. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/economic-analysis-and-policy .

    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.