China Social Science Review

No.3, 2023

 

Decoding the Upgrading of the Industrial Chain in Digital Economy: The Dual Role of Data Elements and Digital Technology

(Abstract)

 

Duan Wei

 

Digital technology is a fundamental innovation that affects the global techno-economic paradigm, and has resulted in the innovation of the industrial chain research framework. The current research paradigm underestimates the thrust of data elements, and how to capture the impact of data elements on the industrial chain is the key to explaining the Solow productivity paradox. Platform enterprises have gradually become the head of the global industrial chain, promoting the change of the driving force source of the industrial chain. The governance of the industrial chain depends more on the coordination between multiple parallel subjects within the region, thereby reshaping the division of labor pattern of the global industrial chain. The digital transformation is a necessary but not sufficient condition for enterprises to achieve functional upgrades, and building an intangible asset system around data elements is also crucial to improving the industrial chain governance.