Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Green Technology Innovation Networks and its Proximity Mechanism in the Context of Digital Transformation: The Case of Yangtze River Delta in China

To explore the multidimensional proximity mechanism of green technology innovation networks in the context of digital transformation, this paper incorporates “digital proximity” into the multidimensional proximity framework. Based on spatial interaction principle and negative binomial regression model, this study illustrates the structural characteristics and analyzes proximity mechanisms of green technological innovation networks among 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. The results provide evidence that “digital proximity” has a substitution effect with geographic proximity and institutional proximity, a complementary effect with social proximity, and a non-significant interaction effect with technological proximity. Compared to the below average “digital proximity”, the above average can significantly promote inter-city green technology innovation cooperation, and the interaction effects with traditional multidimensional proximity are more significant. The findings call for peripheral cities to enhance their network position in the regional green technology innovation system by strengthening their “digital proximity” to core cities.