Unveiling the Mechanism of Digital and Intelligent Technology Empowering the Integrated Governance of the "Four Zones Synergy"

Promoting the coordinated development of functional zones, including Pilot Free Trade Zones, Economic Development Zones, Comprehensive Bonded Zones, and Cross-Border Economic Cooperation Zones, constitutes a major policy initiative to accelerate the construction of a new development paradigm and deepen border-opening strategies. However, the "Four Zones Synergy" faces integrated governance dilemmas such as policy fragmentation, data silos, and high cross-border coordination costs. Digital and intelligent (DI) technologies, characterized by data penetration, process reengineering, and intelligent coordination, offer new possibilities to address these challenges. Based on clarifying the conceptual connotations of DI technology, the "Four Zones Synergy," and integrated governance, this paper systematically analyzes the mechanisms through which DI technology empowers integrated governance. These mechanisms specifically include data integration, process reengineering, intelligent supervision, decision-making optimization, and cross-border coordination. Empirical support is provided through the reform practices of the four zones in Kunming. The research demonstrates that DI technology, by constructing a unified data foundation and intelligent platforms, effectively breaks down administrative divisions and policy boundaries, driving governance structures from fragmentation toward holism and significantly enhancing the efficiency of resource allocation and the level of risk coordination. This study deepens the theoretical understanding of the digital transformation of collaborative governance within special functional zones and offers practical references for border regions seeking high-level opening up through digital and intelligent means.