The Impact of Digital Development on Port Security Resilience—An Empirical Study from Chinese Provinces

Abstract

As the world transitions into the post-pandemic era, ports in various countries are experiencing increased activity, leading to significant challenges in ensuring traffic safety within port jurisdictions. It is essential to explore methods to improve port security resilience to maintain regular economic and trade exchanges. This article examines the influence of digital development on port security resilience. Firstly, the provincial digital development level score is objectively evaluated from the perspective of digital infrastructure, digital application, and digital industry development. Secondly, the port safety resilience score is assessed considering water traffic safety, rescue and recovery capabilities, and operational efficiency. Lastly, the focus is on 16 provinces in China’s coastal and Yangtze River Economic Belt, establishing provincial panel data from 2010 to 2019, and empirically analyzing the direct impact of digital development on the resilience of port security. The results indicate that digital development enhances the resilience of port security, with significant heterogeneity and long-term effects observed.