跨境电商综试区设立能否赋能企业数字化转型?

Can the Establishment of Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones Empower Enterprise Digital Transformation?

跨境电商综试区作为培育新产业、新业态的制度型开放高地,通过发挥政策红利能够为产业数字化发展提供新动能。文章以2011—2022年中国上市公司数据为研究样本,基于跨境电商综试区设立的准自然实验,利用多期双重差分法系统评估跨境电商综试区设立对企业数字化转型的影响。稳健的经验研究表明,跨境电商综试区设立显著促进了企业数字化转型,相较于非试点地区,跨境电商综试区设立使得本地企业的数字化转型程度提升8%;机制分析表明,跨境电商综试区设立通过改善地区产业结构、加剧市场竞争程度、激励企业研发创新、降低企业交易成本以及缓解企业融资约束推动企业数字化转型;异质性分析表明,跨境电商综试区设立对高技术行业企业以及位于经济发展水平较低地区的企业数字化转型的促进作用更为显著。文章研究对进一步夯实中国跨境电商综试区建设成效,加快企业数字化转型进程具有重要的决策参考价值。

As a strategic hub for fostering new industries and innovative business models,the Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones play a pivotal role in driving the digitalization of industries by capitalizing on pioneering policy advantages.This research paper employs a dataset spanning from 2011 to 2022,encompassing Chinese listed companies,as the research sample.Leveraging a multi-phase difference-in-difference method,the study evaluates the impact of the establishment of the Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones on enterprise digital transformation.Robust empirical research findings demonstrate that the establishment of the Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones significantly accelerates the process of enterprise digital transforma-tion.In comparison to non-pilot areas,enterprises operating within the pilot cities of the Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones experience a notable increase of 8%in their degree of digital transformation.Mechanism analysis reveals that the establishment of the Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones primarily drives enterprise digital transformation through external and internal driving effect,that is,improve regional industrial structures,stimulates the innovation of enterprises,intensifies the degree of market competition and re-duces business transaction costs and eases financing constraints,thus promoting the digital transformation of enter-prises.Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the establishment of the Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones has a more significant promoting effect on the digital transformation of enterprises in high-tech industries and enterprises located in regions with lower economic development level.This study holds significant policy implications,offering valuable insights for advancing the construction of China's Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones and expediting the process of enterprise digital transformation.