数字基础设施如何促进区域高质量发展:基于中国279个地级市的实证研究

How does digital infrastructure promote regional high-quality development?

数字基础设施是区域创新生态系统数字化转型的基石,更是数字经济时代驱动区域绿色、低碳和智能化发展的关键引擎,但鲜有研究从城市层面系统揭示数字基础设施发展能否以及如何促进区域高质量发展。建构中国279个地级市2011—2018年的面板数据,实证探究数字基础设施对区域高质量发展的影响及作用机制。研究发现:数字基础设施能够显著促进区域高质量发展,数字基础设施建设每增加一个标准单位,带动区域高质量发展指数提升0.204个标准单位,且其影响具有显著的持续效应。数字普惠金融和数字人力资本作为区域数字创新生态系统的关键环境要素,对数字基础设施的价值释放具有显著的杠杆效应。机制检验表明,数字基础设施促进区域高质量发展主要通过提升区域内的创新水平、全要素生产率和绿色全要素生产率实现。异质性分析发现,数字基础设施的赋能效应在创新资源相对缺乏的中西部地区更为明显。研究结论为加快区域创新生态系统数字化转型,健全数字普惠金融体系和数字人力资本培养体系,进而最大化释放数字基础设施对创新驱动高质量发展效能提供理论和实践启示。

Digital infrastructure is the foundation of digital transformation of regional innovation ecosystem,and a key engine to drive regional green,low-carbon and intelligent development in the digital economy era.However,few studies have systematically revealed whether digital infrastructure development can effectively contribute to regional high-quality development from the city level and the weighted impact of regional digital innovation ecosystem environmental elements.This study constructs panel data of 279 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011-2018,empirically investigates the impact of digital infrastructure on regional high-quality development,and further examines the alignment effects of digital inclusive finance and digital human capital with digital infrastructure.The study finds that digital infrastructure can significantly contribute to regional high-quality development,with each standard unit increase in digital infrastructure construction leading to a 0.204 standard unit increase in the regional high-quality development index.Digital inclusive finance and digital human capital,as key environmental elements of the regional digital innovation ecosystem,have significant alignment effect on the value release of digital infrastructure.Further research finds that the enabling effect of digital infrastructure on high-quality development is more pronounced in the central and western regions.The findings provide theoretical and practical insights for accelerating the digital transformation of regional innovation ecosystems,strengthening the construction of digital inclusive financial system and digital human capital cultivation,and thus maximizing the effectiveness of digital infrastructure on innovation-driven regional high-quality development.