Can computing power infrastructure mitigate supply chain disruption risk for corporates? Evidence from China's intelligent computing centers

Purpose In the digital economy era, digital infrastructure has been a vital tool for mitigating supply chain disruption risk (SCDR). Computing power infrastructure (CPI), as a corporate meta-resource, integrates diverse resources to empower supply chains. Grounded in the institution, industry and resource dimensions of the strategic tripod theory, this paper examines whether and how CPI mitigates SCDR. Design/methodology/approach This study manually collects CPI data from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), employs text analysis to measure SCDR and uses a two-way fixed-effects model to examine the relationship between CPI and SCDR. Findings CPI significantly mitigates SCDR, and this conclusion remains robust after addressing endogeneity issues. Resource-based mechanism tests indicate that CPI mitigates SCDR by optimizing resource allocation across four aspects: financial flexibility (capital), skilled labor structure (talent), data assets (data) and artificial intelligence (technology). Institution-based heterogeneity tests indicate that this effect is more pronounced in non-hub cities and non-allied corporates, supporting a substitutional relationship between the institution and resource. Industry-based heterogeneity tests indicate that this effect is more pronounced in technology-intensive and competitive industries, supporting a complementary relationship between the industry and resource. Originality/value This paper provides a systematic reference for using CPI to mitigate SCDR in emerging economies.