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The impact of the digital economy on creative industries development: Empirical evidence based on the China

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  • Xiaodi Zhao
  • Lei Shen
  • Zhengyun Jiang

Abstract

Digital economy has become a "new engine" that driving global economic growth. Nevertheless, numerous controversies persist regarding whether and how digital economy can facilitate the development of emerging industries. Thus, this paper investigates how digital economy affects creative industries development in China and whether innovation efficiency mediates this relationship. Drawing upon a panel data set containing 29 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2019, an econometric model is constructed for empirical analysis. We find that digital economy significantly promotes creative industries development, and innovation efficiency plays a partial mediating role between digital economy and creative industries development. According to the influence mechanism, the digital economy of various regions could promote the creative industries development by improving the innovation efficiency. Finally, relevant suggestions were put forward from the expanding application paths, improving regional innovation efficiency, and creating an innovative environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaodi Zhao & Lei Shen & Zhengyun Jiang, 2024. "The impact of the digital economy on creative industries development: Empirical evidence based on the China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(3), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0299232
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299232
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Stefano Ghinoi & Magdalena Langosch & Srinidhi Vasudevan & Giuseppe Lucio Gaeta & Elina De Simone, 2025. "International networks in cultural industries: the case of agencies for opera artists in the immediate post-COVID-19 period," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 49(4), pages 689-715, December.
    2. Yang Gao & Chaohui Wang & Hui Geng, 2025. "Digital Creative Industries in the Yangtze River Delta: Spatial Diffusion and Response to Regional Development Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-34, August.

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