Can digital economy promote the coordinated development of regional economy? Empirical Evidence From 30 Provinces in China

The digital economy plays a crucial role in fostering coordinated development of regional economy due to its wide permeability, great integration ability, and spatial spillover effects. This study investigates how the digital economy influences regional economic coordination using provincial panel data and spatial econometric methods. According to our findings, the digital economy promotes coordinated development by enhancing industrial upgrading and market integration. Moreover, the marginal effects of digital economy show regional heterogeneity, generating greater benefits for less developed regions. Based on these results, this paper recommends policy measures to unlock the potential of the digital economy. These measures, which include supporting industrial modernization, market integration, and regional cooperation, rely on the spatial spillover effects to accelerate the development of underdeveloped areas.