Emerging Technology-Driven Development: The Interactive Relation Among Digital Talent Agglomeration, Industrial Digitalization, and China's Economic Growth

Xiaoyue Liu; Jing Zuo

doi:10.62677/IJETAA.2604148

Authors

Xiaoyue Liu Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China Author
Jing Zuo Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62677/IJETAA.2604148

Keywords:

Digital talent, Industrial digitalization, Economic growth, Nonlinear relationships, Conjugate effects, Technology-driven development

Abstract

The accelerating diffusion of artificial intelligence~(AI), the Internet of Things~(IoT), big data analytics, and blockchain across manufacturing, logistics, and services is fundamentally reshaping industrial competitiveness and labour-market demands worldwide. Against this backdrop, two intertwined imperatives emerge: cultivating ``digital talent''---defined here as the workforce capable of deploying and innovating upon these emerging technologies---and advancing industrial digitalization as a systemic transformation of production processes. The deep integration of the digital and real economies is fundamental to the sound and rapid development of the overall economy, and human capital is a crucial driver of economic growth. Accordingly, this study performs a systematic and empirical examination of digital talent agglomeration and industrial digitalization levels across China's provincial regions and their influences on regional economic growth, clarifying the existing nonlinear relations and conjugate effects. The findings show that the relation among digital talent agglomeration, industrial digitalization, and regional economic growth follows an inverted-U shape, consistent with the Williamson hypothesis. For the country as a whole and for the eastern, central, and western regions, this study observes a deviation from the conjugate state between digital talent agglomeration and industrial digitalization. In the Yangtze River Delta region, however, the two have achieved a positive and interactive relation in terms of collaborative development that promotes regional economic growth. These results carry three technology-policy implications: digital talent agglomeration and industrial digitalization are important drivers of regional economic growth; resource agglomeration should remain at a moderate level and achieve coordinated development; and a regional integration strategy is critical in this process.

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