Internal adjustment and digital transformation of intermediate inputs: Economic performance and environmental effects

Abstract

With the increasing importance of supply chain security and the vigorous development of the digital economy, the trend of internal adjustment and digital transformation of intermediate input has become more obvious. Therefore, the impact this dual structural adjustment of intermediate input will have on the economy and environment is an interesting and practical topic. Therefore, this article proposes a new decomposition framework for intermediate input and total output, and constructs a production model that considers intermediate inputs and digital transformation. Based on the WIOT, socioeconomic accounts, and environmental accounts of the WIOD from 2000 to 2014, the panel regression model is used to analyze the economic benefits and environmental impacts brought by the internal adjustment of intermediate inputs and digital transformation.The results show that the internal adjustment of intermediate inputs and digital transformation can promote the improvement of total output by influencing multiple aspects of the economy and environment. The internal adjustment of nondigital intermediate inputs promotes the expansion of export scale and reduces the carbon intensity of added value. The digital transformation of intermediate input and internal adjustment of intermediate input strengthen the direct technical connection between domestic and foreign markets and increase the value-added share of the domestic market. However, the adjustment of intermediate input structure may also bring negative economic environmental effects. This article enriches the research on the adjustment of intermediate input structure from the dual perspectives of internalization and digitization, taking into account economic performance and environmental effects. Based on the research results, we put forward some ideas to promote high-quality development from the perspective of adjusting the structure of intermediate investment, such as countries (or regions) should actively promote the development and implementation of digital technology.