Mechanisms of High-Quality Regional Economic 
Development Empowered by the Digital Economy

Lingxi Zhu

doi:10.70711/memf.v3i3.8859

Mechanisms of High-Quality Regional Economic Development Empowered by the Digital Economy

Lingxi Zhu

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the digital economy has become a critical driver of high-quality regional economic development, particularly in emerging and transitional economies. Moving beyond traditional growth models that emphasize scale and speed, high-quality development stresses innovation efficiency, structural upgrading, environmental sustainability, and inclusive growth. This study empirically examines
the mechanisms through which the digital economy promotes high-quality regional economic development using panel data from Chinese
provinces. Drawing on theories of endogenous growth, industrial upgrading, and spatial economics, we construct a composite digital economy
index and a high-quality development index to investigate both direct and indirect effects. The results indicate that the digital economy significantly enhances regional high-quality economic development. Mechanism analysis reveals that technological innovation, industrial structure
optimization, and factor allocation efficiency serve as key transmission channels. Moreover, regional heterogeneity analysis shows that the
empowering effect of the digital economy is stronger in eastern and more developed regions. These findings provide important policy implications for leveraging digital transformation to achieve sustainable and balanced regional development.

Keywords

Digital economy; High-quality economic development; Regional development; Technological innovation; Industrial upgrading

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.70711/memf.v3i3.8859

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