Industrial Upgrading Research Articles

Digital Inclusive Finance Supports the Modernization of Agriculture Development

In the process of financial development, the high threshold and credit asymmetry not only increase the difficulty and cost of financing in rural agriculture, but also hinder the upgrading of agricultural industrial structure and delay the development of agricultural modernization. With the development of information technology and the wide application of big data, digital inclusive finance has become an important path and inevitable choice to promote the upgrading and modernization of China's agricultural industrial structure. The project intends to use the entropy method to measure the development level of agricultural modernization; Based on the two-way fixed effect model, the paper explores the effect of digital inclusive finance on agricultural modernization. With the help of the intermediary effect model, this paper explores the internal mechanism of the influence of the digital inclusive financial policy on the development of rural modernization from the level of "the upgrading of agricultural industrial structure". Based on the empirical results, this paper analyzes the heterogeneity of the effects of digital financial inclusion policies from the two dimensions of rural location and rural characteristics, and explores an effective path to promote digital financial inclusion and industrial upgrading in rural areas with prominent internal differences, with a view to providing reference and basis for the formulation and implementation of future digital financial inclusion and agricultural modernization development policies.

Research on the optimization of investment structure of China's high-tech industries under the new development model of dual circulation

On May 14, 2021, at the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping first proposed the concept of "dual circulation", emphasizing the construction of a new development pattern in which domestic and international dual circulations promote each other. Capital circulation is the primary link in opening up the circulation, and high-tech industries are the key areas in this new development pattern. In this context, it is of great significance and value to study the optimization of the investment structure of high-tech industries. This study takes the new dual circulation model as the starting point and conducts an in-depth analysis of high-tech industries from the perspective of investment structure optimization. By applying theories such as capital circulation, dynamic comparative advantage, and investment portfolio, the relationship between China's current economic development status and dual circulation is explained. At the same time, the development status of China's high-tech industries is compared with that of foreign high-tech industries, and the advantages, gaps, and problems between China's high-tech industries and developed countries are analyzed. The research plan explores the rationality of the investment structure of high-tech industries in the internal circulation, external circulation, and dual circulation from multiple perspectives such as industrial growth, investment efficiency, industrial upgrading, and global value chain. This will provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for optimizing the investment structure of high-tech industries and help China achieve high-quality development under the new development pattern.

A Review of Industrial Water Resources Efficiency

With the acceleration of China 's industrialization process and industrial upgrading, the efficient use and fine management of industrial water resources have become an increasingly important issue of industrial development and environmental protection. Industrial production activities not only consume a large amount of water resources, but also may lead to water pollution. Improving the efficiency of industrial water resources not only helps to save the total amount of water resources, but also reduces the harm of pollution emissions to the natural environment. This paper summarizes the current situation of industrial water resources efficiency and effective management strategies, including policy support and technological innovation.

Exploring the path to promote energy revolution: Assessing the impact of new energy demonstration city construction on urban energy transition in China

Cities serve as the epicenter of energy consumption, and urban energy transition (UET) is a pivotal prerequisite for achieving carbon peaking and neutrality goals. Leveraging the quasi-natural experiment of China's New Energy Demonstration City Construction (NEDCC), this paper evaluates its impact on UET based on balanced panel data spanning 272 cities from 2006 to 2022. Employing the difference-in-differences model, our estimates underscore NEDCC's facilitative role in promoting UET, a finding corroborated by a series of robustness tests. Mechanism examinations reveal that NEDCC advances UET by enhancing government strategic guidance, fostering green technological innovation, promoting industrial structural upgrading, and optimizing resource allocation efficiency. Furthermore, in cities with higher administrative tiers and more advanced digital finance, NEDCC exerts a more pronounced effect on UET. Conversely, cities endowed with richer resources and pursuing more ambitious economic growth targets exhibit weaker responses to NEDCC's UET-boosting influence. Additionally, NEDCC's demonstration effect surpasses its diffusion effect on neighboring cities, generating a positive spatial spillover that propels their energy transitions. This study offers a novel policy lens for advancing UET.

Research on the Dilemma and Optimization Strategies of Industrial Development of Characteristic Towns under the Rural Revitalization Strategy

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly pointed out that the most difficult and arduous task of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way is still in the countryside. As an important practical form of new urbanization, characteristic towns play a key role in the rural revitalization strategy. The construction of characteristic towns is a "complex ecosystem" integrating multiple fields such as industry, ecology, humanities, and space, which is highly consistent with the general requirements of the rural revitalization strategy. This paper takes Yuantan Brush Industry Town in Qianshan City, Anhui Province as an example to explore the difficulties and optimization strategies faced by its industrial development. Through literature review, field research and case analysis, the geographical and historical background, industrial development status and socio-economic conditions of Yuantan Brush Industry Town are first analyzed. The study found that Yuantan Brush Industry Town has obvious problems in terms of imperfect financial policies, unreasonable ecological zone division, insufficient incentives for professional talents and supporting policies. In response to these problems, this paper proposes a series of optimization strategies. First, enhance the degree of industrial agglomeration, promote cooperation between enterprises and the improvement of upstream and downstream industrial chains. Secondly, improve infrastructure, improve transportation conditions and living supporting facilities. Finally, increase policy support, ensure policy implementation and expand the scope of support. Through these measures, it is aimed to promote the sustainable development of Yuantan Brush Industry Town and achieve industrial upgrading and economic benefits. It is hoped that through the research in this article, experience can be provided for the development of characteristic towns in Anhui, the realization of the strategic goals of rural revitalization can be promoted, and the effective resolution and development of the "three rural" issues can be promoted.

Research on Model Reduction of AUV Underwater Support Platform Based on Digital Twin

Digital twin technology, as a data-driven and model-driven innovation means, plays a crucial role in the process of digital transformation and intelligent upgrading of the marine industry, helping the industry to move towards a new stage of more intelligent and efficient development. In order to solve the defects of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) underwater support platform structure deformation field, digital twin technology and model reduction technology are applied to an AUV underwater support platform, and a five-dimensional digital twin model of the AUV underwater support platform is studied, including five dimensions: physical world, digital world, twin data center, service application, and data connection. The digital twin of the subsea support platform is established by using the digital twin modeling technology. The POD method is used to calculate the deformation field matrix of the support structure of the subsea support platform under the 0–5 sea state, and the corresponding eigenvalues and eigenvectors are obtained. By intercepting the eigenvectors corresponding to the eigenvalues of the high energy proportion, the low-order equation is constructed, and the reduced-order model under each sea state can be quickly solved. The experimental results show that the model reduction technology can greatly shorten the model solving time, and the calculated results are highly consistent with the simulation results of the finite element full-order model, which can realize the rapid analysis of the deformation response of the subsea support platform structure, and provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the subsequent simulation, state evaluation, visual monitoring, and predictive maintenance.

Impact of Enterprise Innovation Capability on Mergers and Acquisitions Performance

Corporate mergers and acquisitions are beneficial for enhancing competitiveness, promoting industrial upgrading, and expanding market share. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the country has attached great importance to innovation and focused on promoting innovation, placing it at the core of strategic deployment. It can be seen that enhancing innovation capability is particularly important for enterprises. Based on this background, analyzing the relationship between corporate innovation capability and merger and acquisition performance has important academic research significance. This article selects the corporate mergers and acquisitions events of listed companies from 2015 to 2019 as the research object, and empirically tests the impact of corporate innovation capability on corporate merger and acquisition performance through regression analysis. The empirical results show that: (1) the innovation capability of enterprises has a positive promoting effect on the performance of corporate mergers and acquisitions; (2) Both manufacturing and non manufacturing enterprises show a significant positive correlation between their innovation capabilities and M&A performance; (3) There is a significant positive correlation between the innovation capability of enterprises that do not involve major asset restructuring and their M&A performance; (4) Geographical regions can affect the relationship between a company's innovation capability and its merger and acquisition performance.

Sustainable urbanization and green total factor productivity: evidence from China’s new-type urbanization plan

Sustainable urbanization is significant in developing countries. This paper studies whether Chinese-type sustainable urbanization, that is new-type urbanization, promotes green total factor productivity (GTFP). We find that the new-type urbanization implementation in China, on average, significantly promotes GTFP by 3.2%. The positive effect of new-type urbanization on GTFP is correlated with promoting innovation, especially green innovation, and improving allocation efficiency. We do not find clear evidence for industrial upgrading, including industrial advancement and rationalization. This is because industrial upgrading is a gradual process and cannot be achieved shortly. Instead, we find that pilot cities might screen the entry of new firms and keep polluting firms out comparatively. The heterogeneous results indicate that the promotion effects on GTFP are more salient in regions with strong environmental regulation and adequate factor endowments. We have some practical implications for sustainable development in developing countries.

Green innovation and natural resource efficiency: The role of environmental regulations and resource endowment in Chinese cities

Achieving natural resource utilization efficiency (NRUE) is a critical objective in addressing the pressing challenges of climate change and the risks associated with the finite availability of mineral resources. Enhancing NRUE can mitigate environmental impacts and support sustainable development for future generations. In this context, green innovation emerges as a pivotal driver of environmental sustainability and resource conservation. However, its potential role in advancing the NRUE has not been fully explored. To fill this gap, this study conducts an empirical analysis of 268 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2022, examining the impact of green innovation on NRUE. This study also incorporates the mediating role of environmental regulations in shaping this impact. The findings demonstrate that green innovation significantly enhances NRUE, primarily by facilitating industrial structural upgrading and reducing resource dependence. Additionally, environmental regulations strengthen the positive effects of green innovation, further amplifying its contribution to NRUE. Moreover, geographical location and differences in resource endowments among cities lead to variations in the effectiveness of green innovation on NRUE. These findings underscore the complex interplay between green technological progress, proactive government policies, and NRUE, offering valuable insights for policymakers and researchers alike.

Precisely regulated crystalline phase of TiO2@composite G doped with Al3+: For the preparation of highly conductive, corrosion resistant conductive coatings

The development of conductive materials is crucial to the upgrading of modern science and technology industries. In recent years, the research on conductive materials synthesized based on TiO2 has mainly focused on improving the conductivity and stability of the materials. And this study, based on the high conductivity of the material, innovatively proposes a method to precisely regulate the crystal phase and morphology of TiO2 by CH3COOH and temperature together. Meanwhile, the heterostructure was successfully built by doping Al3+ into the TiO2 lattice, and a new conductive pathway (Al-O-C) was constructed. Finally, the composite G was prepared as an Al3+-doped TiO2 composite G (Al-T/G) functional material, and it was verified by first-principles calculations (DFT). The experimental results show that the Al-T/G material not only has the low surface resistance and high whiteness of TiO2, but also is endowed with more excellent resistivity (0.203 Ω·cm) and protection efficiency (92.45 %). Meanwhile, compared with the conventional antimony-doped tin dioxide (ATO) conductive materials, the Al-T/G functional materials prepared in this paper are basically harmless to the environment in the experimental process while ensuring high conductivity. Most importantly, this paper explores the bonding mechanism of Al3+-doped TiO2 conductive materials, which provides new insights and ideas in the field of dopant-modified TiO2 conductive materials.

Synergistic relationship between green finance and industrial structure upgrade in the yangtze river economic belt

Synergistic relationship between green finance and industrial structure upgrade in the yangtze river economic belt

Energy transition policy and Chinese rural revitalization: The roles of industrial upgrading and digital economy

This study investigates the impact of China's energy transition policy on rural revitalization, emphasizing the mediating role of industrial upgrading and the moderating influence of the digital economy. The research examines how new energy pilot city policies contribute to rural economic development, social welfare, and environmental sustainability. The results show that industrial upgrading plays a significant mediating role in linking energy policies to rural revitalization, while the digital economy strengthens this effect, highlighting the importance of digital infrastructure and literacy. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that these impacts vary across regions, with developed areas benefiting more significantly due to stronger economic foundations and digital readiness, while less developed regions face greater challenges. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders, advocating for tailored and integrated strategies that combine energy transition, industrial upgrading, and digital technologies to promote sustainable rural development across diverse regional contexts.

Microwave vacuum pyrolysis rapidly transforms bamboo into solid biofuel: Predicting fuel performances by response surface methodology

Microwave vacuum pyrolysis presents significant advantages in biochar refining and industrial upgrading. In this study, bamboo charcoal (BC) was produced rapidly by microwave vacuum pyrolysis, the microwave pyrolysis and conventional pyrolysis characteristics of bamboo were compared, and the potential of response surface methodology (RSM) to predict the fuel performances was investigated. The results indicated that microwave pyrolysis significantly reduced the heating time, and also effectively lowered the threshold of thermal decomposition reaction. Besides, as the microwave power and radiation time rose, the fixed carbon, ash, higher heating value, energy density, and fuel ratio of BCs increased, while the yield, H/C, O/C, volatile, and energy yield decreased. The quadratic models have high correlation coefficients for these characteristics, which can be used for the prediction of subsequent BCs production. When the microwave power was 1666 W and the radiation time was 13.3 min, the prepared BC exhibited the highest yield while maintaining a fixed carbon content of over 85 %. This research provided a green way for the transformation and upgrading of BCs industry, and also showed that the most cost-effective production strategy can be formulated through RSM.

Measuring ecological effects and policy mechanisms of urban land use transition – a case study of Xi'an, China

ABSTRACT Measuring ecological effects and policy mechanisms of urban Land Use Transition (LUT) is the key to understanding regional environmental changes and achieving sustainable urban developments. This paper illustrates and demonstrates a formal method for measuring the ecological effect of LUT characterized by Ecological Security Index (ESI) and Ecosystem Value (ESV), and enhanced with a correlational analysis between the ecological effect model and urban policy mechanism. Using Xi'an, a major capital city of western China as a case study, based on multi-temporal Thematic Mapper (TM) remote sensing images, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and relevant statistical data, the results show that the method using ESI and ESV, together with the Land Use Transition Probability Matrix (LUTPM) can comprehensively measure the ecological effects of LUT process in Xi'an from 2000 to 2020. The results show that due to the impact of urban expansion, regional construction land increased significantly (by 67.07%), while farmland decreased considerably (by 13.12%). The farmland and forestland around the main urban area of Xi'an were centrally converted into construction land, yet the mutual transition of other types of land was relatively scattered. The total amount of ESV has slightly increased from 40.1 billion yuan to 42.8 billion yuan, and the proportion of ecological service function value presents a decreasing trend in regulation function (65%), support function (22%), supply function (9%), and cultural function (4%). The ESI value slightly decreased from 0.517 to 0.512, and overall it is still in a state of ecological security. The trend of ESV and ESI decreasing from mountainous areas to plains indicates that high-intensity human activities in plain areas have had a significant impact on the ecological environment. The correlation analysis between policy mechanisms and ecological effects indicates that ecological protection policies have improved the ecological environment and maintain ecological security (high ESV-high ESI mode), and may also have limited economic activities and been detrimental to the security of urban composite ecosystems (high ESV-low ESI mode). Spatial expansion policies have driven the rapid growth of construction land and threatened ecological security (low ESV-low ESI mode). Zoning adjustment policies have led to the transformation of ecological land to construction land, threatening ecological security and reducing ESV (low ESV-low ESI mode), and may also have promoted industrial upgrading and economic development, providing economic assurance for improving ecological security (low ESV-high ESI mode). These comprehensive findings provide valuable insights for understanding the ecological effects and policy mechanisms of LUT in Xi'an for achieving sustainable urban development, and demonstrate and explore a novel method to more appropriately and effectively measure LUT by combining ESV and ESI.

Does the digital economy really help reduce industrial carbon intensity? Empirical evidence from intermediate inputs of digital products in China.

The booming digital economy is promoting industrial upgrading and transformation, providing an opportunity for the industrial low-carbon development. Based on input-output analysis and panel data regression, the impact of the input of intermediate digital products on Chinese industrial carbon intensity from 1997 to 2017 has been evaluated. The results reveal that the input of China's intermediate digital products can significantly reduce industrial carbon intensity, and significantly reduce the carbon intensity of non-energy-intensive industries. It has also been discovered that the input of intermediate digital product manufacturing can significantly reduce the carbon intensity of different types of industries, while the input of the intermediate digital products services industry has no significant effect on the reduction of industrial carbon intensity. Channel analysis shows that the input of the intermediate digital products can reduce industrial carbon intensity by improving productive efficiency and promoting innovative technology. In the current climate, it is especially necessary to increase the input of the intermediate digital product manufacturing industry in industrial development.

Scientific and Technological Innovation Effects on High-Quality Agricultural Development: Spatial Boundaries and Mechanisms

This study investigates the spatial boundaries and mechanisms of the effect of scientific and technological innovation (STI) on high-quality agricultural development (HQA) to enhance agricultural practices. By employing a double-fixed spatial Durbin model and analyzing panel data from 167 prefectural-level cities in major grain-producing regions spanning from 2004 to 2021, we revealed significant spatiotemporal variations in the impact of STI on HQA in both local and adjacent cities. Our findings remained robust after rigorous testing. The study identified the spillover range of STI to be 420 km, displaying a distinctive inverted U-shaped trend around 170 km. Mechanism analysis indicates that both agricultural industry upgrades and human capital levels within 420 km amplify the influence of STI on local HQA, with only the latter demonstrating spillover effects. Within 170 km, both factors effectively regulate HQA in adjacent cities, while beyond this distance, only human capital regulatory impact continues to exhibit spillover effects. These insights offer theoretical guidance for designing effective agricultural scientific and technology promotion policies aimed at elevating the quality of HQA.

Impact of energy saving and emission reduction policy: Empirical evidence from regional and local business in China

AbstractReducing energy intensity (EI) is essential to promoting sustainable development. The “National Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Comprehensive Demonstration Fiscal Policy” (ESERP) is the green fiscal policy adopted by China in an effort to maximize energy use and promote sustainable development. The paper analyzes the influence of ESERP on EI from regional and business standpoint. The results indicate that ESERP is effective in reducing EI, especially when it is implemented in noneastern, low administrative, and high urbanization cities. This policy effect is realized by promoting green technology innovation and enhancing industrial structural upgrading. However, ESERP enhances EI of neighboring areas around the pilot cities, especially within 200 to 400 km of the perimeter. Meanwhile, the co‐implementation of ESERP and smart city pilot policies is beneficial in reducing EI. Additionally, business strategy analysis indicates that ESERP effectively reduces EI of firms, especially in private, technology‐intensive, asset‐intensive, and heavy polluting firms. This paper provides empirical experience for optimizing green fiscal policy and promoting sustainable business development, which has significant policy guidance value and business strategy significance.

The Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on the Sustainable Growth of Income of Herdsmen in China’s Pastoral Areas

The sustainable growth of income for farming households in pastoral areas represents a crucial challenge not only for China but also for other developing nations in the process of transition to ecologically friendly models. The scarcity of assets available for collateral, along with vulnerable production conditions and developmental shortcomings, pose significant barriers to the consistent expansion of herdsmen’s income. This paper analyzes the impact of digital financial inclusion on the income of herdsmen in ethnic minority regions using panel data models from nine major pastoral provinces in China from 2011 to 2022. Through a fixed-effects model approach, the analysis delves into the influence of digital financial inclusion and subjects it to multi-dimensional and robustness tests to ensure the reliability of the findings. Furthermore, the research explores the underlying mechanisms through which digital financial inclusion contributes to income enhancement for herdsmen in these areas, employing mediation effect techniques to provide deeper insights into the relationship between digital financial services and economic upliftment in remote ethnic communities. The research findings indicate that digital financial inclusion has a positive impact on the income of herdsmen in ethnic minority regions. The breadth of coverage, depth of usage, and level of digitalization of digital financial inclusion all play a significant role in enhancing the income levels of herdsmen. In terms of the degree of influence, the impact of digital finance on the income of ethnic minorities follows this order: depth of usage > degree of digitalization > breadth of coverage. Notably, through financial backing that catalyzes a shift in herdsmen’s production methodologies and propels industrial upgrading, there is a profound potential to increase herdsmen’s output efficiency. This, in turn, alleviates the ecological strain on China’s environmentally delicate zones. Moreover, financial backing can condense the breeding periods for herdsmen, thereby ameliorating the ecological degradation associated with excessive grazing in pastoral regions. A mediating-effect analysis reveals that digital financial inclusion can boost economic development in ethnic minority regions by increasing wage income, raising per capita GDP levels, and promoting industrial structure upgrading. This, in turn, leads to an improvement in the income of herdsmen in these regions. This is particularly pertinent in China, where the eco-fragility of pastoral regions coincides with the modest income of herdsmen, underscoring the critical importance of herdsmen’s finance. To foster sustainable progress in these regions, financial backing is imperative to elevate herdsmen’s income and to induce a transformative shift in production approaches and industrial layout, paving the way for the sustainable development of these pastoral regions.

The mechanism of brand crisis influence on consumer purchase intentions in the context of green development

The promotion of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China not only provides a pathway for the country to achieve its “dual carbon” strategic goals but also facilitates the transformation and upgrading of the automotive industry, contributing to social development and economic growth. This study examines the influence mechanism of brand crises on consumer purchase intentions within the NEV sector, an area critical to sustainable infrastructure and green development. Using a framework of “brand crisis—consumer negative emotions/perceived risk—consumer purchase intention,” and data from consumer surveys conducted in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, and two other locations, the study employs regression models to analyze the relationship between brand crises and purchase intentions. Mediation effect models are used to explore how brand crises impact consumer purchase intentions through negative emotions and perceived risks. The results indicate that brand crises significantly reduce consumers’ willingness to purchase products from affected brands, posing a threat to the market stability and growth of the NEV sector. Moreover, negative emotions and perceived risks mediate the relationship between brand crises and purchase intentions, highlighting the importance of addressing both emotional and cognitive responses in crisis management strategies. To mitigate the adverse effects of brand crises, companies should adopt measures to improve consumer sentiment and reduce perceived risks, such as proactive communication, transparency, and effective recall procedures. Additionally, factors such as NEV performance, price, and charging infrastructure coverage also play a crucial role in consumer purchase decisions. Therefore, companies must consider these factors when formulating crisis response strategies to swiftly regain consumer trust and promote sustainable market and green development. This study contributes to the broader discourse on infrastructure development and public policy by providing insights into how brand crises in the NEV industry can be managed to support sustainable economic growth and development. By understanding the mechanisms through which brand crises affect consumer behavior, this research offers valuable recommendations for policymakers, industry professionals, and academic researchers focused on the interplay between infrastructure, development, and policy.

Land Regulation and Local Service Provision: Can Economic Growth and Environmental Protection Be Achieved Simultaneously?

This study examines the impact of China’s industrial land approval reform (ILAR) on the provision of subnational services. Utilizing the 2011 pilot reform policy approved by the State Council, we utilize a staggered Difference-in-Differences (DID) method to determine the reform’s impact on local economic growth and environmental protection. The findings reveal that the reform enhances local economic development and decreases pollution levels. Additionally, the reform significantly decreases land resource misallocation in pilot cities, enhancing productivity. We also find that local governments allocate more land to the tertiary sector through this reform, achieving industrial upgrading. The optimization effects are more pronounced in cities with higher fiscal pressure. Based on these findings, we recommend that policymakers sustain decentralization efforts and consider further incentives for cities under fiscal stress. We fill a gap in the literature by linking land use regulation with subnational service provision, contributing to the understanding of the socioeconomic benefits of decentralization and local government service levels.