From the perspective of big data knowledge ecosystem to demonstrate the ‘SRDI’ high-quality development of Chinese cities

Abstract

ABSTRACT In China’s fast-paced economic development, the current focus is cultivating ‘Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative’ (SRDI) enterprises. This paper aims to advance high-quality SRDI development in Chinese cities through the lens of the big data knowledge ecosystem. By constructing a framework for this ecosystem, the article explores how its elements collectively contribute to SRDI development in major Chinese cities. Utilizing a combined research approach, incorporating Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), the study, based on data from 38 Chinese cities, innovatively designs variables for a configurational analysis framework. The findings reveal four pathways for promoting SRDI development, each with unique core driving conditions and a substitution relationship between antecedent conditions. This research’s contribution lies in the creative construction of an empirical analysis framework examining how the various elements of the big data ecosystem impact SRDI development levels in cities. It addresses existing research gaps in SRDI development and the study of the big data knowledge ecosystem. The paper uncovers how various elements of the big data knowledge ecosystem enhance overall SRDI development in Chinese cities and provides scientific research support for understanding the facilitation of SRDI development by the big data knowledge ecosystem.