Manufacturing Agglomeration Research Articles

The impact of collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and services on carbon emission efficiency: spatial effect and mechanism analysis

ABSTRACT Urban economic development benefits from industrial agglomeration by enhancing efficiency, but it may also bring negative effects, such as environmental pollution. This research uses data from 283 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2019, and applies the Spatial Durbin Model to investigate the spatial effects of industrial agglomeration on carbon emission efficiency, along with its impact mechanisms at various stages of collaborative agglomeration between the manufacturing and service sectors. The results indicate that: (1) The upgrading of the service industry from consumption-oriented to production-oriented has proved to be conducive to enhancing carbon emission efficiency and alleviating the environmental problems associated with manufacturing agglomeration. (2) The industrial collaborative agglomeration exerts a spatial spillover effect on carbon emission efficiency. Over time, as the degree of industrial collaborative agglomeration reaches a specific threshold, it positively impacts the carbon emission efficiency within the local area but exerts an inhibitory effect in neighboring regions. (3) The urban agglomerations of Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and Pearl River Delta regions, along with low-carbon pilot cities, demonstrate a greater capacity to enhance the positive impact of industrial collaborative agglomeration on carbon emission efficiency. (4) Collaborative industrial clustering fosters technological progress through domestic technology transfer and green technology innovation. It also mitigates mismatches between labor and capital, enhances land-intensive utilization efficiency, and optimizes resource allocation, ultimately leading to improve carbon emission efficiency. This research contributes to China’s economic and social transition towards a low-carbon future and provides valuable insights for the green development and industrial upgrading of developing countries.

A framework integrating affinity propagation algorithm and spatial bivariate analysis for enhanced identification and localisation of soil heavy metals pollution sources.

The accurate identification of pollutant sources and their spatial distribution is crucial for mitigating soil heavy metals (SHMs) pollution. However, the receptor model struggles to effectively categorize pollutant sources and pinpoint their locations and dispersion trends. We propose a novel comprehensive framework that combines a receptor model, random forest (RF), affinity propagation (AP) algorithm, and bivariate local indicator of spatial association (BLISA), to optimize the traditional approach for tracing SHMs sources in industrial regions. We apportioned SHMs sources using a receptor model combined with RF, while BLISA combined with AP methods were employed to accurately locate the source areas and identify their dispersion tendencies. The results revealed that SHMs originated from mixed sources of equipment manufacturing agglomeration and agricultural activities (59.0%), geological background (30.5%), and emissions from heavily-polluting industries (10.5%). The pollution sources of soil Cd and Pb were located near specific industries, showing characteristics of multi-site concurrent pollution diffusion influenced by their proximity to industrial sites. The spatial distribution of Cr, Cu, and Zn sources was concentrated in high-density urban industrial areas, transitioning from point to nonpoint sources, with diffusion patterns influenced by the spatial agglomeration effect of industries. Our enhanced framework accurately identifies the location of SHMs sources and their dispersion tendencies, thereby improving regional soil pollution management.

Research on the impact of virtual agglomeration of the Chinese manufacturing on the efficiency of enterprise technological innovation

ABSTRACT The virtual agglomeration of manufacturing realises the ubiquitous connection and efficient allocation of technological innovation resources, and becomes a new driving force for improving the technological innovation efficiency of enterprises and building a strong manufacturing country. This paper constructs a theoretical framework to investigate the impact of the specialised and diversified virtual agglomeration of manufacturing on the efficiency of enterprise technological innovation. This paper uses the adjusted location entropy and the Herfindahl-Hirschman index to measure the level of specialised and diversified virtual agglomeration of manufacturing. Using Chinese manufacturing data (2008–2021), empirical tests confirm that the specialised and diversified virtual agglomeration of manufacturing can improve the efficiency of enterprise technological innovation. Additionally, the mechanism test results show that the specialised virtual agglomeration of manufacturing improves the technological innovation efficiency of enterprises through competition and knowledge spillover, and the diversified virtual agglomeration improves the technological innovation efficiency of enterprises through knowledge spillover. However, the effect of specialised virtual agglomeration of manufacturing on the efficiency of enterprises` technological innovation will be adjusted by the age of enterprises. These results are pivotal for understanding the realistic path of virtual agglomeration of manufacturing to improve the technological innovation efficiency of enterprises.

Relationship between Advanced Manufacturing Agglomeration and Regional Economic–Innovative–Social Coupling Coordination Development: A Spatial Analysis in Liangjiang New Area, China

Relationship between Advanced Manufacturing Agglomeration and Regional Economic–Innovative–Social Coupling Coordination Development: A Spatial Analysis in Liangjiang New Area, China

Synergistic industrial agglomeration, new quality productive forces and high-quality development of the manufacturing industry

This study analysed the impact of the mechanism of the synergistic agglomeration of manufacturing and modern service industries on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry using the entropy value method, coupling coordination degree, and E-G index. We utilised panel data of 30 provinces and cities in China from 2012 to 2022. The study found that synergistic agglomeration significantly promotes the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, in which ‘new quality productive forces’ play a key intermediary effect, while the innovation ecosystem has direct and indirect moderating effects on the relationship between the two. Simultaneously, industrial synergistic agglomeration, development of new productivity, construction of innovation ecosystems, and high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in all provinces and cities showed a steady increase; however, there were significant differences between regions. Based on the findings of the study, policy recommendations are suggested to further promote the synergistic development of the manufacturing industry and modern service industry. At the policy level, the government should strengthen the guidance and support of industrial synergistic agglomeration and formulate differentiated policies to promote industrial synergistic agglomeration; simultaneously, it should pay attention to the cultivation of new productivity and the construction of innovation ecosystems, optimise the allocation of innovation resources, and stimulate the vitality of innovation. At the industrial level, manufacturing enterprises should actively cooperate with modern service enterprises to achieve resource sharing and technological complementation; modern service industries should improve service quality and efficiency to meet the needs of manufacturing transformation and upgrading; and close cooperation between the industry, academia, and research institutes should be established to promote technological innovation and industrial upgradation.

Research on the Impact of Digital Finance on the Quality of Manufacturing Industry Agglomeration

In the new era of deep global economic integration and industrial structure transformation and upgrading, high-quality industrial agglomeration has become the core driving force leading the development trend. Manufacturing is the most obvious industry of industrial agglomeration. The promotion effect of digital finance on high-quality manufacturing agglomeration is mainly reflected in the scale, economic efficiency, innovation, green and industrial structure upgrading of manufacturing agglomeration. The development of digital finance plays an important role in promoting high-quality manufacturing agglomeration.

Influence mechanism of industrial agglomeration on carbon emission intensity-a perspective on borrowing performance.

Under the background of urban connectivity, whether there are similarities and differences in the impacts of local industrial agglomeration and inter-city industrial agglomeration borrowing performance on carbon emission intensity(CI), and how cities can fully utilize the external force-borrowing performance to reduce local CI, these issues are of great significance for the cost saving and efficiency enhancement in the process of carbon emission (CE) reduction. Based on panel data of 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2020, the panel dual fixed-effect model, instrumental variable method, and adjustment effect model were used to analyze the impacts of the manufacturing agglomeration (MA), producer service agglomeration (PA), and the collaborative agglomeration (CA) on the CI from the perspective of individual cities and the urban system. The results showed that the influence of MA on CI presents a significant inverted U-shaped relationship, PA significantly reduces CI, and the CA of the two industries increases CI. Further analysis showed that the borrowing MA performance improves CI, especially in newer industrial-based cities, non-resource-based cities, and medium and big cities; the borrowing PA performance reduces CI, especially in old industrial-based cities, non-resource-based cities, and large cities; and the borrowing CA performance has no significant effect on CI. In addition, the development of the Internet strengthens the influence of borrowing performance in MA and PA on CI.

Cross-Border E-Commerce and Urban Entrepreneurial Vitality—A Quasi-Natural Experiment Evidence from China

Cross-border e-commerce, as a new form of trade driven by digital technology, provides an opportunity to enhance the entrepreneurial vitality of cities. With the help of the comprehensive pilot area for cross-border e-commerce, also called a “quasi-natural” experiment, and using 2010–2020 panel data and Chinese business enterprise registration data for 278 cities in China, this paper examined the impact of cross-border e-commerce on enterprise vitality. The study found that the pilot policy in the comprehensive pilot area promoted the entrepreneurial vitality to increase by about 13.3%, and it remained stable after a series of tests. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the pilot policies in the comprehensive pilot areas have a stronger effect on the promotion of enterprise vitality in the eastern and western regions. At the same time, the pilot policy has expanded the scope of enterprise subjects and plays a more prominent enterprise incentive effect in small and medium-sized cities, cities with low innovation, and small and medium-sized registered enterprises. In addition, the pilot policy stimulates the entrepreneurial vitality of the service industry, but has no significant impact on agriculture and manufacturing. In terms of the influence mechanism, the comprehensive pilot area mainly affects the entrepreneurial vitality by means of optimizing the business environment, reducing the entry cost, promoting the synergistic agglomeration of manufacturing and producer services, and stimulating market demand. The further spatial spillover effect found that the comprehensive pilot area not only improves the entrepreneurial vitality of the pilot cities, but also radiates the enterprise development of neighboring and surrounding cities with similar economic development.

Spatial spillover effects of manufacturing agglomeration on China's total factor carbon productivity: evidence from the regulatory role of fiscal decentralization.

Based on the theory of new economic geography, this paper used panel data from 284 cities in China from 2006 to 2019 to determine the effects of spatial spillover and heterogeneity of manufacturing agglomeration (MA) on urban total factor carbon productivity (TFCP) and the regulatory effect of fiscal decentralization on the outcome. The results showed that (1) MA shifted from the eastern region of China to the central and western regions, with the center of gravity moving towards the south. The spatial pattern of urban TFCP displayed the solidifying characteristics of "low-level agglomeration and high-level dispersion," with technological progress being the primary driver. (2) The MA had a significant U-shaped effect on the TFCP of local and nearby cities, promoting the improvement of urban TFCP through Jacobs' and Porter's externalities but not MAR externalities. (3) Regarding regional differences, MA had a significant U-shaped impact on urban TFCP in the eastern and central regions. At different levels of manufacturing development, there was an inverted U-shaped relationship in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing metropolitan areas. For varying degrees of manufacturing industry agglomeration, increasing the level of MA improved urban TFCP in low agglomeration areas, but inhibited it in high agglomeration areas. (4) The implementation of fiscal decentralization nationwide and in the eastern and central regions significantly weakened the impact of MA on TFCP. Furthermore, fiscal decentralization significantly enhanced the influence of MA on TFCP in cities exhibiting high levels of economic development, advanced industrial structure and strict environmental regulations. Therefore, based on the unique developmental characteristics of the manufacturing industry in various cities, fiscal policies ought to be tailored to local circumstances to support key areas. This strategy should facilitate the high-quality development of manufacturing industry and low-carbon development of cities.

Does the Collaborative Agglomeration of Logistics and Manufacturing have an Inhibitory Effect on Carbon Emissions? Based on the Spatial Econometric Analysis of Panel Data of 30 Provinces in China

In this paper, panel data from 30 provinces in the Chinese Mainland (excluding Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) spanning from 2006 to 2022 is utilized to investigate the relationship between logistics industry agglomeration, manufacturing industry agglomeration, and carbon emissions using spatial econometric analysis methodologies. Specifically, the study focuses on investigating the relationship between the synergistic agglomeration of the logistics and manufacturing industry, and their impact on carbon emissions using the Spatial Durbin Model. The research findings indicate that an increase in manufacturing industry agglomeration significantly reduces carbon emissions, an increase in logistics industry agglomeration result in higher carbon emissions, and the synergistic agglomeration of the two industries plays a significant role in mitigating regional carbon emissions through spatial and geographical mechanisms. Robustness tests, which include the control of additional variables and the use of alternative spatial weight matrices, further support the above conclusions.

Study on the impact of digital economy on industrial collaborative agglomeration: Evidence from manufacturing and productive service industries.

In the digital era, digital economy has a far-reaching impact on the collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and service industries. This research aims to examine the economic relationship between digital economy and industrial collaborative agglomeration. Based on a panel data set of 286 Chinese cities, this research employs Tobit model, moderating effect model, and mediating effect model to conduct data analysis. It is found that digital economy has a nonlinear relationship with industrial collaborative agglomeration, and this relationship is a U-shape. Moderating effect analysis reveals that government intervention significantly regulates the role of digital economy in industrial collaborative agglomeration. Mediating effect analysis indicates that digital economy promotes industrial collaborative agglomeration through entrepreneurial activity. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the facilitating effect of digital economy on collaborative agglomeration in high-end industries comes earlier than in middle- and low-end industries. Moreover, this research finds that digital economy plays a significant role in industrial collaborative agglomeration in central and western regions of China but not in the eastern region. To enhance the impact of digital economy on industrial collaborative agglomeration, it is crucial to strengthen the engagement of the government and ensure the availability of digital technology.

The impact of collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and producer services on carbon emission intensity: Influence mechanism and spatial effect.

Under the goal of " carbon peaking and carbon neutrality," how to create a low-carbon and green development path for cities is an urgent problem in China. One of the effective ways to solve this problem is through industrial collaborative agglomeration. In this paper, panel data of 276 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2020 was selected to investigate the relationship between the collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and producer service and carbon emission intensity by using a fixed-effects model, intermediary model, and SDM in multiple dimensions. The study found that the collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and producer service industries significantly influences carbon emission intensity with an inverted U-shaped curve, and the agglomeration of manufacturing and producer service industries can influence carbon emission intensity through technological progress. In addition, the inverted U-shaped impact of collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and producer services on carbon emission intensity has a spatial spillover effect, and the spatial spillover effect generated is stronger than the impact on the local area. Moreover, from the perspective of industry heterogeneity, compared with low-end producer services, the agglomeration of manufacturing and high-end producer services can play a better role in carbon emission reduction. Regarding regional heterogeneity, compared with the central and western regions, the impact of manufacturing and production services agglomeration on carbon intensity is far more obvious in the more economically developed eastern regions.

Research on the impact of manufacturing virtual agglomeration on green total factor productivity of enterprises under the Sustainable Development Goals.

Virtual agglomeration of manufacturing has become a new driving force for improving the green total factor productivity of enterprises, which is of great significance in achieving the sustainable development of manufacturing enterprises and the construction of manufacturing power. This paper clarifies the connotation, model, and characteristics of manufacturing virtual agglomeration. Based on the five dimensions of virtual agglomeration platform, digitization of subjects, data center, virtual cooperation network, and logistics service, this paper constructs an index system for the manufacturing virtual agglomeration. Entropy weight method was used to measure the level of manufacturing virtual agglomeration from 2012 to 2021. Furthermore, this paper analyzes and tests the influence mechanism of manufacturing virtual agglomeration on the green total factor productivity of enterprises. This paper finds that manufacturing virtual agglomeration improves the green total factor productivity of enterprises, which shows a nonlinear relationship. The mechanism test results show that manufacturing virtual agglomeration improves the green total factor productivity of enterprises by accelerating green technology innovation, forming a scale economy, and reducing transaction costs. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the promotion effect of virtual agglomeration in manufacturing on the green total factor productivity of enterprises is affected by the property rights and scale of the enterprise.

Does the Digital Economy Promote Industrial Collaboration and Agglomeration? Evidence from 286 Cities in China

Relying on high penetration and strong diffusion capabilities, the digital economy is becoming a new driving force for industrial integration and development. It is of great significance to promote the coordinated development of manufacturing and producer services. This paper took panel data on 286 prefecture-level cities and above in China from 2011 to 2019 as its research object, and used the two-way fixed effect model, threshold effect model, and the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) as its econometric testing methods. This analysis explored the impact of the digital economy on the synergetic agglomeration between manufacturing and productive service industries in China. The results of the research showed that the synergetic agglomeration of industries is significantly promoted by the digital economy. This conclusion was still valid after an endogeneity test was carried out. The digital economy’s role was found to mainly involve promoting knowledge spillovers and expanding the market size. An in-depth analysis of the digital economy has enabled the collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and producer services in large, medium-sized, and small cities. The digital economy had the greatest effect on small cities, followed by medium-sized cities and large cities. The synergetic aggregation between the manufacturing and high-end producer services industries is significantly promoted by the digital economy. However, it was not found to have had a significant effect on the synergetic agglomeration between the manufacturing and low-end producer services industries. The impact of the digital economy on industrial collaborative agglomeration is nonlinear. Only when the level of the digital economy exceeds the threshold can the promoting effect of the digital economy on industrial collaborative agglomeration be manifested. In summary, the development of the digital economy was found to have promoted industrial collaboration and agglomeration in the study areas and their neighboring regions in the study period. The research results of this article are of great significance for achieving the goal of the “two-wheel drive” of the manufacturing and producer services industries, as well as high-quality economic development in China.

The New Geography of Manufacturing in China: The Internet and Manufacturing Agglomeration

The Internet has profoundly affected the spatial structure of cities, but few relevant studies have investigated it from the perspective of manufacturing agglomeration. Using panel data of prefecture-level cities in China covering the period 2003–2019, this paper studies how the Internet affects manufacturing agglomeration. The results show that there is a U-shaped relationship between the Internet and manufacturing agglomeration, and the underlying channel can be the enhancement of market potential. Human capital can enhance the role of the Internet in promoting manufacturing agglomeration. The findings can contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between the Internet and urban spatial structure in developing countries.

Research on the impact of Industrial Synergy Agglomeration on Regional Innovation and Development

Collaborative agglomeration of producer services and manufacturing can effectively improve resource mismatch, enhance the height of industrial structure, and then promote regional innovation and development. This collaborative clustering model plays a significant role in promoting optimized resource allocation, driving industrial upgrading, and fostering innovation development, which is of great significance for achieving economic growth and regional sustainable development. This paper constructs the panel data of 281 prefecture level cities in China from 2004 to 2019 to empirically analyze the impact of Industrial Synergy on the development of regional innovation. It is found that the collaborative agglomeration of producer services and manufacturing industry is conducive to the development of regional innovation, especially the collaborative agglomeration of high value-added producer services and manufacturing industry has a more significant role in promoting innovation. Therefore, local governments should accelerate the coordinated development of industries, thus promoting the improvement of innovation level and ultimately achieving high-quality economic development.

Effects and Spatial Spillover of Manufacturing Agglomeration on Carbon Emissions in the Yellow River Basin, China

Manufacturing agglomeration is an important manifestation for cities to enhance their competitiveness, and the resource and environmental effects caused by agglomeration have become a hot topic. Based on the relevant data of prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2006 to 2019, this study used a Markov transition matrix to study the characteristics of carbon emission transfer and constructed an SDM model to analyze the effect of manufacturing agglomeration on carbon emissions and spatial spillover; the study drew the following conclusions: carbon emissions and the concentrations of manufacturing industries in the Yellow River Basin are on the rise, with carbon emissions showing a distribution pattern of “downstream > midstream > upstream”. Manufacturing agglomeration has a significant positive influence on carbon emissions, reflecting the necessity for the green transformation of manufacturing agglomeration. Manufacturing agglomeration has a spatial spillover effect on carbon emissions. The direct effect is positive, and the indirect effect is negative. The polarization effect caused by agglomeration weakens the development degree of neighboring areas, which may reflect the technological spillover effect of manufacturing agglomeration on neighboring areas. Manufacturing agglomeration has regional heterogeneity in carbon emissions. Compared with the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin, the effect is more obvious in the upper reaches. The study proposes countermeasures in terms of optimizing the spatial pattern of the manufacturing industry and other aspects to provide references for promoting the transformation development of the manufacturing industry in the Yellow River Basin.

The Impact of Industrial Agglomeration on Urban Land Green Use Efficiency and Its Spatio-Temporal Pattern: Evidence from 283 Cities in China

Industrial agglomeration is one of the primary driving factors in city creation, and the improvement of urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE) is an important part in green development. This study concentrates on the impact of industrial agglomeration on ULGUE in the process of urbanization. Based on the panel data of 283 cities in China from 2003 to 2019, this paper constructs a super efficiency SBM-DEA model including unexpected outputs to evaluate ULGUE. Using a spatial Durbin model, we examine the spatial spillover effects of manufacturing and productive services agglomeration on ULGUE. The results show the following: (1) There has been fluctuation over the study period, which can be classified into three stages, and ULGUE in China as a whole is on the rise. (2) Chinese ULGUE has increased greatly in the western and northeastern regions, changed massively in the eastern region, and stayed largely steady in the middle region. The degree of manufacturing agglomeration is further improved, exhibiting a feature resembling a ladder, with high concentrations in the southeast coastal region and low concentrations in the interior. Production service industry agglomeration intensity has declined, revealing a more dispersed spatial pattern. (3) The rise in local ULGUE will have a beneficial impact on the ULGUE of spatially correlated regions, according to ULGUE’s relatively strong spillover effect. (4) Manufacturing agglomerations can enhance the ULGUE in the neighborhood, but it is not obvious how this will impact the local regions. The agglomeration of production service industry can enhance the improvement of ULGUE in local and spatially correlated regions, but the direct effect is weak. (5) The integration of the manufacturing and productive service industry does not quite strengthen its stimulatory effects on the growth of ULGUE.

Toward carbon neutrality: The impact of manufacturing agglomeration on total factor energy efficiency

Improving energy efficiency is an effective way to achieve carbon neutrality in the context of growing advocacy for a green economy in both academia and government. In this study, we analyzed the impact mechanism of the manufacturing agglomeration on total factor energy efficiency. Based on this work, we identified 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China using 2002 to 2017 panel data. We used the data envelopment analysis game cross-efficiency model to calculate the interprovincial current state of energy efficiency. We constructed a spatial Durbin model and used an adjacent space weight matrix, geographic distance weight matrix, and economic distance weight matrix to study the impact of manufacturing agglomeration on total factor energy efficiency. The results showed that under different spatial weights, the interprovincial total factor energy efficiency had a significant spatial dependence; under the three spatial weights, we identified a U-shaped relationship between manufacturing agglomeration and total factor energy efficiency. Industrial agglomeration had obvious spatial spillover effects on total factor energy efficiency, and the spillover effects under the weight of geographic distance were higher than other spatial weights. During the sample period, the direct, indirect, and total effects of the manufacturing industry had an impact on energy efficiency. It all had a negative number indicating that there was a crowding effect in manufacturing agglomeration, and it had an inhibitory effect on energy efficiency.

Impact of Manufacturing Agglomeration on the Green Innovation Efficiency—Spatial Effect Based on China’s Provincial Panel Data

Improving the efficiency of green innovation has become an urgent issue in the transformation of manufacturing industries in most developing countries within the context of increasing resource scarcity and environmental constraints. As an important feature of manufacturing development, agglomeration also plays a substantial role the promotion of technological progress and green transformation. Taking China as an example, this paper investigates the spatial impact of manufacturing agglomeration (MAGG) on green innovation efficiency (GIE). We first measure the level of MAGG and GIE in 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China during the period from 2010 to 2019, and then we utilize the spatial Durbin model in order to empirically test the spatial effect and heterogeneity based on theoretical analysis. The findings demonstrate that (1) the overall GIE in China has maintained a steady increase, and the level of MAGG slowly decreased from 2010 to 2019 with characteristics of obvious regional non-equilibrium and spatial correlations; (2) MAGG has a significant effect on the improvement of GIE nationally; (3) under the constraints of regional heterogeneity, the impacts of MAGG on GIE show significant differences between eastern, central and western China; (4) in terms of industry heterogeneity, high-tech MAGG can significantly enhance local GIE, while the indirect effect of non-high-tech MAGG is significantly negative. Our findings not only contribute to the advancement of studies pertaining to industry agglomeration and innovation, but also present policy implications for China and the world at large in terms of the development of high-quality and green economy.