Digital economy, data resources and enterprise green technology innovation: Evidence from A-listed Chinese Firms

Abstract

The digital economy provides a framework for leveraging data resources to enhance enterprise green technology innovation. By harnessing digital tools and analytics, businesses can optimize resource use, streamline operations, and develop eco-friendly products and services. This synergy between the digital economy, data resources, and green technology innovation underscores the transformative potential of technology in addressing environmental challenges and fostering sustainable development. Against this backdrop, this study examines whether the digital economy promotes green technological innovation and uses a two-way fixed effect based on the data of A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2011 to 2020. The mediation effect model and threshold model are used to explore the possible mechanism played by data resources. The study shows that the development of the digital economy significantly promotes enterprises' green technology innovation. This positive effect is especially prominent in the east-central region, second-tier cities, and non-resource cities. In contrast, the digital economy inhibits firms' green technology innovation in Tier 4 and Tier 5 cities and resource-based cities. Mechanism analysis shows that the digital economy can further promote enterprise green technology innovation by developing data resources. The threshold effect indicates a double threshold variable for data resources. The digital economy has differentiated effects on enterprise green technology innovation in different digital resource intervals. It provides a new perspective for understanding green technology innovation in the context of the digital economy and data resources.