Scientific and technological innovation, industrial structure and economic growth: empirical evidence from China

Based on data from Chinese listed companies, this study employs mediation, threshold, and difference-in-differences (DID) models to examine the synergistic relationship between technological innovation (TI), industrial structure (IS), and economic growth (EG), aiming to clarify their intrinsic mechanisms, heterogeneity, and policy-driven effects. Key findings: (1) TI significantly promotes IS upgrading and EG, with notable synergies among the three; (2) Capacity utilization partially regulates the TI-IS-EG pathway by optimizing resource allocation; (3) Heterogeneity is evident: central China gains the least from IS transformation, while western China benefits greatly from policies; services and high-tech manufacturing drive EG better than traditional industries; (4) Threshold effects exist: IS has dual thresholds for EG (strongest industry-service synergy), and TI has a single threshold for IS upgrading; (5) The 2015 supply-side structural reform substantially incentivizes their coordinated development. This study provides critical empirical evidence for the innovation-structure-growth link at China’s micro-enterprise level, emphasizing regionally differentiated (strengthening central industrial transformation support, sustaining western policy empowerment) and industry-specific (supporting services/high-tech manufacturing innovation) policies, alongside deepened supply-side reform to boost coordinated TI and IS upgrading.