RESEARCH ARTICLE
How Does Digital Technology Reshape the Boundaries of Intercity Innovation Collaboration? Evidence From China
Shufen Guo,
Ludi Wen,
Yanrui Wu,
Sandun C. Perera,
Shufen Guo
School of Public Administration, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Ludi Wen
School of Public Administration, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
Correspondence: Ludi Wen ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorYanrui Wu
Department of Economics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSandun C. Perera
College of Business, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
Search for more papers by this authorShufen Guo,
Ludi Wen,
Yanrui Wu,
Sandun C. Perera,
Shufen Guo
School of Public Administration, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Ludi Wen
School of Public Administration, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
Correspondence: Ludi Wen ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorYanrui Wu
Department of Economics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSandun C. Perera
College of Business, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 08 July 2025
ABSTRACT
Empirical studies have rarely explored the relationship between digital technology adoption and transregional innovation collaboration at the city level. To address this important research gap, we use the negative binomial regression model to identify the impact of digital technology adoption on intercity innovation collaboration, with particular emphasis on the reshaping effect of digital technology on geographical and city hierarchical boundaries. The panel data pertains to intercity co-patents spanning the period from 2012 to 2019 in China. Our findings show that digital technology adoption significantly enhances intercity innovation collaboration. The positive relationship becomes even stronger as the geographical distance between cities increases. Furthermore, digital technology adoption strengthens innovation collaboration not only among first-tier cities but also between first-tier cities with second- and third-tier cities. These results suggest that digital technology can effectively bridge geographical distances and break city hierarchies to a limited extent. These insights can inspire policymakers to harness the power of digital technology to reshape the boundaries of intercity innovation collaboration for inclusive regional development.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
Data will be made available on request.
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