Digitalization, competition strategy and corporate innovation: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing listed companies

Digital transformation is permeating from the service sector to the manufacturing industry and is becoming an increasingly important factor in enterprise operating decisions. Based on data from A-share listed Chinese manufacturing companies, this study examines the nexus between the digitalization of the manufacturing industry and corporate innovation investment. Empirical evidence indicates that manufacturing enterprises have significantly increased their investment in innovation activities in the process of digital transformation, and this conclusion is still valid after employing a series of robust analyses to overcome endogeneity. Digital transformation also has an indirect effect on manufacturing enterprises' market competition strategy. Manufacturing digitalization significantly promotes enterprises to implement differentiated competitive strategies, while inhibiting the implementation of a cost-competitive strategy. Manufacturing enterprises with higher viability are more adaptable to digital transformation and tend to implement differentiated competitive strategies. Hence, the innovation incentive effect is greater for high-viability enterprises, regardless of the scale of operation, the ownership, or productivity. These findings provide useful policy implications for promoting the integration of digital transformation and innovative development in the manufacturing industry.