Enhancing blue: The resilience of blue economy and the efficiency of China's sea-land industrial synergy

Abstract

In the “new normal” with increasingly obvious uncertain characteristics, China urgently needs to enhance the resilience of blue economy and improve the efficiency of sea-land industrial synergy. In this study, we constructed China's blue product ecosystem and added land products with high technological similarity in it. Then, from the dimensions of economy and network structure, a framework for evaluating the resilience of blue products is designed and the efficiency of China's sea-land industrial synergy is investigated from the perspective of resilience. Finally, based on the “tree” structure characteristic of China's blue product ecosystem found in this research, we designed a cyclically framework consisting of “roots (land technology-related products)-trunk (high resilience hub blue products)-branches (non-hub blue products)” for enhancing blue. The main results are as follows. (1) Land technology-related products are the supporting industry of China's blue economy. (2) Deliberately attacking blue products with strong structural functional resilience will lead to a more rapid “chains broken”. (3) The efficiency of sea-land industrial synergy decreased significantly after removing land technology-related products. Our research offers empirical support to assist policy-makers in screening key blue products and industrial chains that warrant cultivation and support to enhance the sustainable development of the blue economy.