Mechanisms and Spatial Effects of Digital-Financial Co-agglomeration on Urban Digital Entrepreneurial Vitality

Based on the panel data of 236 Chinese cities from 2005 to 2022, this study examines the impact of digital-financial co-agglomeration on urban digital entrepreneurial vitality. We measure digital-financial co-agglomeration with a modified E-G index and measure urban digital entrepreneurial vitality with a labor-market approach based on firm registration data. The results show that co-agglomeration significantly increases urban digital entrepreneurial vitality. The findings remain robust after addressing endogeneity and conducting multiple robustness checks. Mechanism tests indicate that venture capital activity and technological innovation mediate the effect. Spatial econometric results further show significant spillovers, and the indirect effect exceeds the direct effect. Threshold estimates reveal a non-linear effect that becomes stronger after the threshold is crossed.