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A study on the synergistic effects of digital economy and cultural industry in late-developing Regions: Dynamic evolution, barriers, and policy implications based on Guizhou, China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Against global digital transformation, digital-cultural integration enables leapfrog growth for resource-rich late-developing regions. Taking nine prefecture-level cities of Guizhou (2014–2023) as samples, this paper builds a three-tier “Basic Support–Human Capital–Industrial Ecology” framework, and adopts improved VIKOR-EWM, coupling coordination degree (CCD), spatial autocorrelation and barrier degree models to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution and restrictive drivers of DE-CI synergy. Results indicate: (1) The digital economy index maintains sustained growth, whereas the cultural industry index fluctuates severely due to structural bottlenecks; (2) DE-CI CCD evolves from low imbalance to high coordination, accompanied by increasingly significant positive spatial agglomeration; (3) Core constraints shift sequentially from digital infrastructure gaps to insufficient digital human capital and weak industrial linkages. Robustness tests including peak subsample elimination, parameter sensitivity analysis and cross-model comparison validate the findings. This study reveals the staged evolution rule of DE-CI coordination barriers and proposes differentiated governance strategies for comparable late-developing regions.

Source: Environmental and Sustainability Indicators

DOI: 10.1016/j.indic.2026.101469

Authors: Chengbin Yu, Ke Ding, Qian Yang, Qu Qin

Institution: Liupanshui Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Digital Economy and Transformation

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Decent work and economic growth, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,350