Data element sharing and manufacturing-service integration: evidence from China

Exploiting the establishment of public data platforms in China as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper systematically examines the impact of public data on the integration of manufacturing and service industries (MSI). We find that public data openness significantly promotes MSI. Mechanism analysis identifies two transmission channels through which public data openness promotes MSI. These channels are enterprise digital-intelligent transformation and high-skilled labour matching. We further find that the local market and institutional environment moderates this effect. The promotional impact is stronger in cities whose market and institutional environments are weaker. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that among various categories of public data, data pertaining to government services, market regulation, and fiscal and financial affairs exhibits a more pronounced promotional effect. The promotional effect is stronger in cities with more developed digital infrastructure and in non-resource-based cities. This study offers key policy implications for deepening public data openness and empowering regional industrial structure upgrading within the context of the digital economy.