Harnessing Digital Technologies for Rural Industrial Integration: A Pathway to Sustainable Growth
Data have become a virtual factor of production, and when integrated with the traditional factors of labor, capital, and land form digital labor, digital capital, and digital land, thereby generating a multiplier effect that contributes to the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas. This paper...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| author | Jingkun Zhang Wang Zhang |
| author_facet | Jingkun Zhang Wang Zhang |
| author_sort | Jingkun Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Data have become a virtual factor of production, and when integrated with the traditional factors of labor, capital, and land form digital labor, digital capital, and digital land, thereby generating a multiplier effect that contributes to the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas. This paper utilizes panel data from 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China from 2013 to 2023 and employs a double machine learning model to empirically test the impact mechanism of rural digitalization on the integration of rural industries. The results indicate that digital villages significantly promote the integrated development of rural industries through three direct pathways—digital industry development, digital information infrastructure, and digital service levels—with this conclusion remaining valid after a series of robustness tests. A mechanism analysis shows that digital villages facilitate the integration of rural industries through three indirect pathways—alleviating urban–rural factor mismatches, adjusting the agricultural–industrial structure, and promoting agricultural technological advancement—with this conclusion still valid after various robustness tests. The heterogeneity results show that there is significant variability in how digital villages promote the development of integrated rural industries, with the effects being more pronounced in major grain-producing and eastern regions compared to non-major grain-producing and central-western regions. Based on this, this paper proposes policy recommendations focused on accelerating digital village construction, formulating differentiated strategies, and alleviating factor mismatches, aiming to provide references for achieving rural revitalization. We mainly propose countermeasures and suggestions from three aspects: digital dividend, differentiation strategy, and element mismatch. Our main purpose in writing this article is to make up for the shortcomings of existing theories, enrich the theoretical system of digital rural construction, contribute Chinese solutions for digital rural construction around the world, and improve the word’s level of digital rural construction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a76c8e6fbc0349dfb83736f99a7dd018 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2079-8954 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-a76c8e6fbc0349dfb83736f99a7dd0182025-08-20T02:50:43ZengMDPI AGSystems2079-89542024-12-01121256410.3390/systems12120564Harnessing Digital Technologies for Rural Industrial Integration: A Pathway to Sustainable GrowthJingkun Zhang0Wang Zhang1School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, ChinaData have become a virtual factor of production, and when integrated with the traditional factors of labor, capital, and land form digital labor, digital capital, and digital land, thereby generating a multiplier effect that contributes to the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas. This paper utilizes panel data from 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China from 2013 to 2023 and employs a double machine learning model to empirically test the impact mechanism of rural digitalization on the integration of rural industries. The results indicate that digital villages significantly promote the integrated development of rural industries through three direct pathways—digital industry development, digital information infrastructure, and digital service levels—with this conclusion remaining valid after a series of robustness tests. A mechanism analysis shows that digital villages facilitate the integration of rural industries through three indirect pathways—alleviating urban–rural factor mismatches, adjusting the agricultural–industrial structure, and promoting agricultural technological advancement—with this conclusion still valid after various robustness tests. The heterogeneity results show that there is significant variability in how digital villages promote the development of integrated rural industries, with the effects being more pronounced in major grain-producing and eastern regions compared to non-major grain-producing and central-western regions. Based on this, this paper proposes policy recommendations focused on accelerating digital village construction, formulating differentiated strategies, and alleviating factor mismatches, aiming to provide references for achieving rural revitalization. We mainly propose countermeasures and suggestions from three aspects: digital dividend, differentiation strategy, and element mismatch. Our main purpose in writing this article is to make up for the shortcomings of existing theories, enrich the theoretical system of digital rural construction, contribute Chinese solutions for digital rural construction around the world, and improve the word’s level of digital rural construction.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/12/12/564digital techniquerural industrial integrationdual machine learning |
| spellingShingle | Jingkun Zhang Wang Zhang Harnessing Digital Technologies for Rural Industrial Integration: A Pathway to Sustainable Growth Systems digital technique rural industrial integration dual machine learning |
| title | Harnessing Digital Technologies for Rural Industrial Integration: A Pathway to Sustainable Growth |
| title_full | Harnessing Digital Technologies for Rural Industrial Integration: A Pathway to Sustainable Growth |
| title_fullStr | Harnessing Digital Technologies for Rural Industrial Integration: A Pathway to Sustainable Growth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Harnessing Digital Technologies for Rural Industrial Integration: A Pathway to Sustainable Growth |
| title_short | Harnessing Digital Technologies for Rural Industrial Integration: A Pathway to Sustainable Growth |
| title_sort | harnessing digital technologies for rural industrial integration a pathway to sustainable growth |
| topic | digital technique rural industrial integration dual machine learning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/12/12/564 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jingkunzhang harnessingdigitaltechnologiesforruralindustrialintegrationapathwaytosustainablegrowth AT wangzhang harnessingdigitaltechnologiesforruralindustrialintegrationapathwaytosustainablegrowth |