‘Little Giant’ and standardization: synergistic drivers of new quality productive forces

Against China’s transition toward high-quality development, this study develops a dual-drive framework linking ‘Little Giant’ enterprises and standardization to the formation of new quality productive forces. Treating technological innovation as a mediating mechanism and standardization as a multidimensional moderator, we examine provincial panel data from 2012 to 2022. The findings show that both ‘Little Giant’ enterprises and standardization significantly promote regional new quality productive forces, while technological innovation serves as a key transmission channel. Standardization further amplifies the marginal contribution of innovation. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of ‘Little Giant’ enterprises depends on regional market vitality, whereas standardization produces stronger compensatory effects in less active markets. The study enriches understanding of innovation–standardization synergy and offers policy implications for regional development.