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Digital Economy, Green Innovation Efficiency, and New Quality Productive Forces: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Provincial Panel Data

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  • Yunsong Xu

    (School of Business, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Ruixun Wang

    (School of Business, Hunan International Economics University, Changsha 410205, China)

  • Shanfei Zhang

    (School of Business, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing 100083, China)

Abstract

As a new economic form driven and empowered by digital technology, the development of the digital economy has become a crucial pathway for boosting the advancement of new quality productive forces. This study employs the entropy method to measure the comprehensive evaluation index system for both the digital economy and new quality productive forces and further utilizes the unexpected output super-efficiency model to calculate the green innovation efficiency index. On this basis, panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2012 to 2022 are selected to conduct a quantitative analysis from a multidimensional perspective innovatively, examining the overall, heterogeneous, and spatial effects of the digital economy on new quality productive forces, as well as the mediating, moderated mediating, and threshold effects of green innovation efficiency. The research findings indicate that (1) the digital economy significantly promotes the development of new quality productive forces, and this conclusion is robust; (2) the impact of the digital economy on new quality productive forces exhibits regional heterogeneity; (3) there is a positive spatial spillover effect of the digital economy on new quality productive forces; (4) the digital economy can facilitate the development of new quality productive forces by enhancing green innovation efficiency; (5) industrial structure upgrading moderates the mediating effect of the digital economy on new quality productive forces, specifically regulating the promoting effect of green innovation efficiency on new quality productive forces; and (6) the impact of the digital economy on new quality productive forces exhibits a nonlinear characteristic of “increasing marginal effect”. Consequently, this study proposes targeted suggestions from four dimensions: accelerating the construction of digital infrastructure, vigorously enhancing green innovation efficiency, promoting the deep integration of digitalization and greenization, and facilitating industrial upgrading and coordinated development. These suggestions serve as valuable empirical insights into China’s transformation path selection and sustainable high-quality development in the new era.

Suggested Citation

  • Yunsong Xu & Ruixun Wang & Shanfei Zhang, 2025. "Digital Economy, Green Innovation Efficiency, and New Quality Productive Forces: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Provincial Panel Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-27, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:633-:d:1567612
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chenhui Ding & Chao Liu & Chuiyong Zheng & Feng Li, 2021. "Digital Economy, Technological Innovation and High-Quality Economic Development: Based on Spatial Effect and Mediation Effect," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    2. Xing Zhang & Jian Zhong & Huanfang Wang, 2023. "Does the Development of Digital Economy Affect Environmental Pollution?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-18, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Shoulin Li & Jianing Liu & Weiya Guo, 2025. "Empowered or Negative? Research on the Impact of Industrial Agglomeration on the Development of Agricultural New Quality Productive Forces: Evidence from Shandong Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-23, April.
    2. Zhiqiang Liu & Hui Zhang & Caiyun Guo & Yicong Yang, 2025. "New Quality Productive Forces Enabling High-Quality Development: Mechanism, Measurement, and Empirical Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-28, September.
    3. Yanhua Li & Tingyu Zhang, 2025. "How Does the Digital Ecosystem Foster New Quality Productive Forces? A Dynamic QCA of Sustainable Development Pathways in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-24, May.
    4. Ruixiang Li & Gyung-yong Song, 2025. "Digital Commerce as a Catalyst for Ecological Transformation: Evidence from China’s Manufacturing Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-21, April.
    5. Hong Li & Zhijie Gan & Hongjian Lu, 2025. "The Impact of Climate Risk on Agricultural New Quality Productive Forces—Evidence from Panel Data of 31 Provinces in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-20, August.
    6. Chen Huang & Jinlong Zhao & Zhongchen Yang & Liang Wang, 2025. "The Impact Mechanisms of New Quality Productive Forces on Rural Transformation: Evidence from Shandong Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-19, June.
    7. Chunshan Zhou & Xiaoli Wei & Xiangjun Dai & Guojun Zhang, 2025. "Research on the Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Impact of China’s Digital Economy and Green Innovation," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-26, March.
    8. Kahaer Abula & Yusupu Aihemaiti, 2025. "Digitalization and Culture–Tourism Integration in China: The Moderated Mediation Effects of Employment Quality, Infrastructure, and New-Quality Productivity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-39, September.

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