This study aims to investigate whether and how industrial internet platform (IIP) adoption translates digital connectivity into measurable green productivity gains at the firm level. Utilizing a comprehensive sample of listed companies in China’s renewable energy sector spanning from 2008 to 2024, we specify a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) model to empirically test the relationship between IIP access and corporate green total factor productivity (GTFP). Our findings demonstrate that IIP adoption significantly enhances GTFP, remaining robust across multiple sensitivity tests. Mechanism analyses reveal that this enhancement is driven primarily by data network effects and digital-first innovation strategies. Furthermore, cross-sectional analyses indicate that the positive impact is more pronounced in firms characterized by lower labour intensity, higher market competition, and lower asset specificity. Based on these findings, we suggest that management should strategically integrate IIP into their internal operations. IIP providers should develop and embed real-time carbon monitoring tools to lower technical barriers for adoption. Policymakers should shift from generic subsidies to targeted interventions, offering specific fiscal incentives to alleviate the high transition costs faced by firms with rigid asset structures.
Xiao et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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