Spatial Effect of Digital Talent Flow on Industrial Restructuring in the Greater Bay Area

This study investigates the impact of digital talent flow on industrial restructuring in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), considering the threshold effect of technological innovation and spatial dependence among cities. The study emphasizes that the benefits of talent mobility extend beyond inflow to include the broader dynamics of both inflow and outflow, along with the accompanying spill overs of knowledge, technology, and experience. Using panel data from cities in the GBA from 2003 to 2021, our results show: First, there is no significant spatial dependence in the rationality of industrial structure among cities in the GBA. However, negative spatial dependence is observed in the quantity of industrial structure upgrading, while positive spatial dependence is noted in the quality. Second, the flow of digital talent promotes the rationality and quality of industrial structure but suppresses the quantity of industrial structure upgrading. The robustness test confirms the importance of peripheral cities, and policy implications from these findings suggest tailored strategies for peripheral areas.