Does the digital innovation ecosystem promote green technology innovation? Evidence from 264 cities in China

• Published in: Technology in society Vol. 83; p. 102977
• Main Authors: Bai, Xue, Zhang, Zhuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2025
• Subjects: Coupling coordination degree; Digital innovation ecosystem; Environmental regulation; Green technology innovation; Spatial spillover effect; Coupling coordination degree; Digital innovation ecosystem; Green technology innovation; Environmental regulation; Spatial spillover effect
• ISSN: 0160-791X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.102977

With the Chinese government prioritizing “digitalization-driven green transformation” as a national strategy, the digital innovation ecosystem (DIE) and green technology innovation (GTI) have emerged as key drivers of high-quality development. However, the relationship between them remains unclear. This paper constructs a multidimensional framework of DIE and evaluates it using a coupling coordination degree model. Based on panel data from 264 Chinese cities (2011–2021), the spatial Durbin model is employed to analyze the impact of DIE on GTI and the moderating role of environmental regulation (ER). The results indicate that DIE promotes local and neighboring GTI through significant spatial spillover effects. Among the DIE subsystems, the digital innovation subject and environmental subsystems significantly enhance GTI, whereas the platform subsystem exhibits a limited effect. ER weakens the positive impact of DIE on GTI, with regional heterogeneity observed. This study provides new empirical evidence on the role of DIE in advancing sustainable development and offers tailored policy recommendations for coordinating digital and environmental strategies. •Develops a coupling-based framework for the digital innovation ecosystem (DIE).•Assesses the spatial impacts of DIE on green technology innovation (GTI).•Reveals the moderating effect of environmental regulation.•Provides region-specific policy insights for integrating digital and green strategies.