The Mechanism, Path, and Empirical Verification of Digital Economy Empowering the Transformation and Upgrading of Manufacturing Industry

The rapid deployment of digital infrastructure and intelligent information technologies is accelerating the transformation of modern manufacturing systems toward data-driven, networked, and intelligent production. This study investigates the mechanisms through which the digital economy promotes manufacturing transformation and upgrading by integrating digital infrastructure, industrial digitalization, technological innovation, and collaborative resource allocation into a unified analytical framework. From the perspectives of intelligent manufacturing, digital connectivity, and industrial information networks, the study examines the enabling roles of technological innovation efficiency, factor allocation efficiency, and industrial collaboration using panel-data-based empirical analysis. The results demonstrate that digital economy development significantly enhances manufacturing upgrading by improving innovation capability, optimizing resource allocation, and strengthening industrial coordination, with stronger effects observed in regions possessing more advanced digital infrastructure and communication networks. In particular, digital platforms, industrial Internet technologies, and data-driven decision mechanisms provide effective support for intelligent production, real-time information sharing, and adaptive manufacturing optimization. The proposed framework offers practical guidance for the construction of networked manufacturing systems, digital industrial infrastructures, and intelligent production environments, providing useful references for data-centric industrial communication and smart manufacturing applications.