数字经济缩小不同规模企业间创新差距的逻辑与效应
The Logic and Effect of the Digital Economy to Narrow the Innovation Gap between Enterprises of Different Sizes

运用2012~2021年间省级层面面板数据，以企业成长平等性为切入点，研究了数字经济对不同规模企业间创新差距的影响及其作用机制。研究发现，数字经济缩小了不同规模企业间创新差距，而研发投入和数字普惠金融发展在数字经济与不同规模企业创新差距间发挥了中介效应。这表明数字经济通过缓解中小企业的融资约束增加研发投入，缩小不同规模企业间创新差距；异质性研究发现，数字经济对不同规模企业间创新差距的缩小效应主要体现在东部地区，而在中西部地区并不明显。这表明数字经济发展对中小企业创新绩效的提升存在门槛效应，只有数字经济发展到一定程度才能有效提升中小企业的创新能力，缩小不同规模企业间创新差距。本研究丰富了数字经济在解决不平衡不充分发展上的理论认识，为促进中小企业发展提供了政策启示。
This study employs panel data from the provincial level spanning the years 2012 to 2021 to delve into the influence of the digital economy on the innovation disparities among enterprises of varying scales, with a particular emphasis on the equity of corporate growth. The findings unveil that the digital economy has substantially constricted the innovation divide among enterprises of varying scales, with R&D investment and the proliferation of digital inclusive finance assuming pivotal intermediary roles within this dynamic. This delineates that the digital economy, by alleviating the capital constraints incumbent upon SMEs and augmenting R&D outlays, effectively diminishes the innovation disparities between enterprises of different magnitudes. An in-depth heterogeneity analysis elucidates that the ameliorative impact of the digital economy on the innovation gap is predominantly pronounced in the eastern regions, contrasting with a subdued effect in the central and western regions. This underscores a threshold effect inherent in the evolution of the digital economy, positing that only upon reaching a certain developmental plateau can the digital economy tangibly enhance the innovation prowess of SMEs and attenuate the innovation chasm across the enterprise spectrum. The research augments the theoretical acumen concerning the digital economy’s capacity to redress uneven and inadequate developmental trajectories, proffering policy enlightenment for the advancement of SMEs.