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The impact of digital economy development on innovation in renewable energy technologies

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Abstract

Based on Chinese provincial-level data from 2012 to 2020,this paper construct the regional digital economic development index by the CRITIC method and empirically finds an inhibiting effect of the digital economy development on innovation in renewable energy technology (IRETs). A mediation mechanism test shows that the inhibiting effect may be due to serious free-rider problem in IRETs as patent infringements increase in the digital era. Further studies show that moderation effect of public environmental appeal on the relationship between digital economy development and IRETs depends on the level of patent judicial protection. It is found that increasing public environmental appeal will mitigate the negative impact of digital economy development on IRETs for regions with high level of patent judicial protection while enhance the above negative impact for regions with low level of patent judicial protection.

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Notes

  1. The information and communication technology (ICT) sector is central to the development of the digital economy (Bukht and Heeks 2017; Domazet et al. 2018; García-Herrero and Xu 2018).

  2. The research idea of exploring the development of digital economy based on the perspective of digital industrialization and industrial digitization has been expressed and recognized by China's top decision-making levels. First, Digital Economy Development in China (2017) issued by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) (2017) proposed two paths for the development of the digital economy: digital industrialization and industrial digitization. Second, on March 5, 2021, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang indicated in the Report on the Work of the Chinese Government that the government would accelerate digital development, create new advantages for the digital economy, and promote digital industrialization and industrial digital transformation in a coordinated manner. Finally, on March 11, 2021, the Fourth Session of the 13th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China approved the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 that emphasized “accelerating the promotion of digital industrialization” and “promoting the digital transformation of industries.”

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Acknowledgements

I acknowledge the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 72003157).

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  1. College of Finance, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu Province, China

    Wen Chen

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Appendix

Appendix

IPC codes of each kind of renewable energy technologies.

Technology

IPC classes

Wind power

F03D

Solar energy

F03G6; F24J2; F26B3/28; H01L27/142; H01L31/042–058

Marine (ocean) energy

E02B9/08; F03B13/10–26; F03G7/05

Hydro power

E02B9 and not E02B9/08; [F03B3 or F03B7 or F03B13/06–08 or F03B15] and not F03B13/10–26

Biomass energy

C10L5/42–44; F02B43/08

Storage

H01M10/06–18; H01M10/24–32; H01M10/34; H01M10/36–40

  1. Sources: (Johnstone and Haščič 2010; Lin and Zhu 2019a, b; Noailly and Shestalova 2017)

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Chen, W. The impact of digital economy development on innovation in renewable energy technologies. Econ Change Restruct 56, 4285–4308 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10644-023-09553-1

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