Exploring the Digital Economy Innovation in the Yangtze River Delta: A Perspective of Complex Networks

As a major economic engine of China, the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region is pivotal in driving innovation across the scientific, technological, and digital economies. This study constructs the spatial associative network for digital economy innovation by treating 41 cities as nodes and applying a gravity model adjusted for institutional distance. Subsequently, the structural characteristics of the spatial associative network and their effects were empirically explored by using complex network analysis and regression models. The findings indicate that: (1) The linkages in digital economy innovation among cities are becoming increasingly closer, and the network structure exhibits an annual increasing trend in density, connectivity, and efficiency, while hierarchy decreases; (2) The examination of network node characteristics discloses that different cities possess diverse capabilities in terms of resource aggregation, regulation, and communication. The block model analysis further categorizes the cities into four functional groups. Among them, Block I (including cities like Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou) holds the “primary” status and acts as the “core city” for digital economy innovation; (3) The attributes of the spatial associative network have a remarkable effect on both the degree of digital economy innovation and the variations among cities.