The Coordinated Development of the “Center-Periphery” Structure in Regional Economy: The Dual Driving Force of Technological Innovation and Digital Economy

Coordinated regional development should direct attention to both the intra-regional structure and elucidate the collective influence of pivotal drivers. As the core of China’s development of new quality productive forces, technological innovation and digital economy are of great significance in reshaping regional coordinated development. This paper scrutinizes the collective influence of technological innovation and the digital economy on the coordinated development of the “center-periphery” structure in regional economy (CDCPSRE), and examines three potential mechanisms: industrial restructuring, industrial integration, and transportation infrastructure. Moreover, it delves deeper into threshold effects, external shocks, and regional heterogeneity during the impact of technological innovation and the digital economy on CDCPSRE. The paper’s conclusions show that: (1) the digital economy distinctly enhances CDCPSRE, whereas the converse holds true for technological innovation. (2) The influences of technological innovation and the digital economy on CDCPSRE manifest through three mechanisms: industrial adjustment, industrial integration, and transport infrastructure. (3) The extended analysis reveals a notable double-threshold effect for both technological innovation and the digital economy on regional coordinated development. External shocks to policies are present and align with the benchmark regression. Moreover, significant spatial heterogeneity is observed across regions. Theoretical underpinnings furnished in this paper contribute substantively to elucidating the trajectory for fortifying CDCPSRE.