Dynamic evolution analysis of enterprises digital technology innovation strategies in energy supply chain collaboration: A bargaining theory perspective

In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, digital collaboration in energy supply chain has become a crucial pathway for optimizing energy systems. However, existing literature has insufficiently explored the decision-making mechanisms and dynamic evolutionary processes of upstream and downstream enterprises in collaborative digital technology innovation, particularly with regard to mechanisms of shared benefits and joint risk-bearing. To fill this research gap, this study integrates bargaining theory with an evolutionary game model, selecting upstream and downstream power companies and equipment manufacturers in the energy supply chain as the research subjects. It analyzes the evolutionary mechanisms and influencing factors of collaboration willingness among supply chain members during the digital transformation of the energy supply chain, supported by specific case studies from the energy industry to validate the conclusions. The findings are as follows: (1) When both risk-sharing and benefit-sharing are considered, upstream and downstream enterprises in the energy supply chain tend to adopt digital collaboration strategies. Furthermore, the participants' positive initial willingness to undergo digital transformation accelerates this process. (2) Compared to the level of risk aversion, shared benefits have a greater impact on the adoption of collaboration strategies. In scenarios of high shared benefits and low risk aversion, the adoption of digital collaboration strategies by supply chain participants is significantly accelerated. The collaboration between China Datang and Goldwind Science & Technology shows that, with substantial cooperative benefits and strong policy incentives, digital collaboration strategies tend to dominate and stabilize at equilibrium, with the upgraded units achieving over a 100 % increase in efficiency and adding about 900 h of annual power generation, thereby underscoring significant performance gains. This study provides a novel theoretical perspective on digital collaboration in energy supply chain and offers theoretical support for enterprises and policymakers to optimize digital collaboration strategies.