Internet Development, Level of Industrial Synergy, and Urban Innovation

The Impact of Broadband Infrastructure Construction on Medical Resource Mismatch: Quasi-Natural Experiment From the Broadband China Policy

BACKGROUND

Whether the construction of broadband infrastructure can alleviate the problem of mismatched medical resources is crucial to the national information strategy, residents' well-being, and social equity. However, the academic community lacks a comprehensive theoretical analysis and rigorous empirical research on this issue.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to construct a preliminary theoretical framework to scientifically assess the effects of broadband infrastructure development on the mitigation of health care resource mismatch from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, to explore the potential mechanisms of influence, and ultimately to develop several practical policy recommendations.

METHODS

We first used a theoretical analysis to propose testable theoretical hypotheses and establish a preliminary theoretical framework. Then, based on balanced panel data from 300 cities from 2010 to 2021, a 2-way fixed effects difference-in-differences model was used for empirical testing. Mechanism tests, robustness analyses, and heterogeneity analyses were further conducted.

RESULTS

The research findings demonstrate that the Broadband China Policy significantly reduces the degree of mismatch in medical resources by primarily using innovation effects and integration effects, resulting in a reduction of 13.2%. In addition, the heterogeneity analysis reveals that the central and eastern regions, cities with large populations, and areas with a high proportion of young people benefit more significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

This study fully confirms, both theoretically and empirically, that broadband infrastructure construction can effectively reduce the mismatch of medical resources not only by expanding the existing literature on the impact of broadband on public services but also by providing valuable opportunities for policy makers to optimize the allocation of medical resources.

How do manufacturing and producer service agglomerations affect urban innovation differently? Empirical evidence from China

Despite the growing body of literature on the influence of industrial agglomeration on urban innovation, no consensus has been reached on the mechanism of the spillover effect. This empirical study exploits heterogeneity in spillover effects between manufacturing and producer service agglomerations on urban innovation based on a sample of 262 prefecture-level cities in China. We find some intriguing and new findings: (1) The threshold effect can be identified for the spillover effect of manufacturing agglomeration but not for that of producer service agglomeration. (2) Manufacturing and producer service agglomerations have opposite decomposition indirect effect. (3) The spatial spillover effect of industrial agglomeration can be restrained by absorptive capacity of nearby cities. This study not only provides empirical evidence for the reconciliation of the debate on the effect of manufacturing and producer service agglomeration, but also has important policy implication for reconsidering the role of industrial agglomeration in urban innovation.