Research On The Impact Of Digital Trade Development On Regional Innovation Efficiency In China

Currently,the new generation of information and communication technology is developing rapidly,digital trade supported by digital technology has entered a new stage of development.As a product of the integration of digital technology and trade,digital trade has played an important role in reshaping the pattern of economic growth,changing production and lifestyle,and promoting regional innovation in China.However,due to significant differences in spatial distribution among regions such as geographical location,resource conditions,factor endowments,digital trade presents different development speeds and scales,leading to uneven regional innovative development.According to the "externalities" of the economy,regional differences can lead to factor flows that form spatial spillovers.At the same time,the interaction between digital trade and digital information technology is conducive to strengthening interregional ties and further weakening the characteristics of imbalances.In this context,how to exert the development advantages of digital trade to promote the improvement of regional innovation efficiency has become the focus of scholars’ attention.Based on this,this paper takes 30 provincial panel data from 2012 to 2020 as the research object,and systematically studies the impact and mechanism of digital trade development on regional innovation efficiency from the perspective of spatial effects.Firstly,through sorting out the literature,based on the typical characteristics of digital trade development and regional innovation,it sorts out the theoretical basis and mechanism of digital trade development affecting regional innovation.Secondly,establish an indicator system for the development of digital trade and regional innovation efficiency,and use entropy weight method and random frontier method to conduct scientific measurement and quantitative evaluation,respectively,to reveal its spatial imbalance and spatial and temporal pattern.Finally,we use spatial econometric models to empirically test the spatial effects of the two,identify spillover boundaries,and further select intermediary models to explore the mechanism role of factor allocation,technological progress bias,and industrial upgrading in the development of digital trade to empower regional innovation efficiency.The research finds that:(1)China’s digital trade development and regional innovation efficiency have been increasing year by year between2012 and 2020,with strong regional development imbalance and "high(H-H)" "Low level(LL)dominated spatial agglomeration characteristics,with a clear trend of gradual evolution.(2)The development of China’s digital trade has a positive spillover promoting effect on regional innovation efficiency,can improve the level of innovation efficiency in the region,and also has a promoting effect on adjacent regions,and the spillover effect within the region is greater than that between regions." The spatial spillover effect of digital trade development on regional innovation efficiency is characterized by spatial attenuation with increasing geographical distance,with an attenuation boundary of about 500 kilometers and a spillover intensive region of 300-400 kilometers.(4)The development of digital trade can indirectly promote the improvement of regional innovation efficiency through factor allocation,technological progress bias,and industrial upgrading.The proportion of intermediary effects is 10.67%,6.76%,and9.85%,respectively.After a series of robustness tests such as changing the spatial weight matrix,time-phased regression,changing explanatory variables,and eliminating municipalities,as well as endogenous tests,the conclusion remains valid.Based on theoretical analysis and empirical testing,the paper proposes the following policy recommendations: First,improve the development foundation of digital trade,and enable regional innovation and transformation.Secondly,strengthen the spatial agglomeration of digital trade and accelerate the construction of innovation networks.Third,remove barriers to digital trade flows and expand innovation factor spillovers.