The Impact of Agglomeration of Scientific and Technological Talent on Urban Green Total Factor Productivity

The crucial role of scientific and technological talent agglomeration in promoting urban green development is widely recognized, yet its mechanisms and contextual conditions remain insufficiently explored. Using panel data for 284 prefecture-level cities in China over the period 2004–2019, this study examines the impact of scientific and technological talent agglomeration on green total factor productivity. The results show that such agglomeration significantly enhances urban green total factor productivity. Factor mobility plays a mediating role, through which scientific and technological talent agglomeration improves the efficiency of resource allocation, thereby enhancing green total factor productivity. Furthermore, the digital economy strengthens the impact of scientific and technological talent agglomeration on green total factor productivity, and this moderating effect is more pronounced in cities with higher levels of digital development. This study enriches the literature on talent agglomeration by integrating perspectives on green development and the digital economy and provides empirical evidence to support high-quality urban green growth.