Can digital technology innovation enhance manufacturing industrial chain resilience? An empirical study from China

Digital technology innovation (DTI) is an important strategic tool in developing China’s manufacturing industry. Few studies have, however, addressed the impact of DTI on manufacturing industrial chain resilience. Based on panel data from 2007 to 2022, this study empirically examines the impact of DTI on manufacturing industrial chain resilience in China. Results show that (1) DTI exerts a significant promoting effect on manufacturing industrial chain resilience, a finding validated using a series of robustness and endogeneity tests. (2) DTI has enhanced manufacturing industrial chain resilience more significantly in China’s western and central regions than in the country’s eastern region. (3) Market integration, collaborative agglomeration of manufacturing and modern service industries, and new quality productivity all play partial mediating roles in the impact of DTI on manufacturing industrial chain resilience. (4) Digital inclusive finance can regulate the direct effect of DTI on manufacturing industrial chain resilience, and can also regulate the path of the mediating effect. The above results suggest that the government should optimize strategy for carrying out digital technology innovation and enhancing industrial chain resilience.