Network Evolution of Digital Technology Transfer and Implications for Urban Digital Innovation Governance: Evidence from Chinese Patent Transactions

Digital technology transfer plays a crucial role in reshaping innovation spaces and developing the digital economy. This study constructs an inter-city digital technology transfer network based on digital technology patents. It examines the impact of such transfers on urban digital technology innovation from a multi-scale perspective. Findings reveal: (1) China's inter-city digital technology transfer network has grown increasingly complex and dense, forming a “diamond-shaped” structure centered on Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, with multiple urban clusters serving as hubs, significantly enhancing network efficiency. (2) Although the proportion of intra-city digital technology transfer has decreased, the number of participating cities continues to grow, showing a diffusion pattern from core cities to inland provincial capitals. (3) Benchmark regression indicates that both inter-city and intra-city technology transfer significantly enhance urban digital innovation capabilities, with inter-city transfer exhibiting a much greater marginal effect than intra-city transfer. (4) Heterogeneity analysis reveals that technology transfer has a more substantial positive impact on the innovation capabilities of cities with lower administrative levels.