Digital Infrastructure Development and Entrepreneurial Activity: Evidence from Chinese Cities

Digital infrastructure development can activate regional entrepreneurial vitality through dual pathways of credit empowerment and service penetration. Based on panel data from 31 provincial regions in China between 2013 and 2022, this paper systematically evaluates the impact of digital infrastructure construction on regional entrepreneurial activity. The study finds that digital infrastructure construction significantly enhances regional entrepreneurial activity, a conclusion supported by a series of robustness tests. Mechanism verification reveals that the coverage breadth of digital inclusive finance serves as a crucial channel for stimulating entrepreneurial vitality through digital infrastructure development; meanwhile, market efficiency exerts a negative moderating effect between digital infrastructure construction and entrepreneurial activity. Additionally, its promoting effects exhibit significant regional disparities, with particularly pronounced impacts observed in eastern China.