From Shock to Recovery: The Impact of Digitalization on Corporate Governance and Urban Economic Resilience in CEE Cities

Positioned in the context of the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery, the research investigates how digital infrastructures and skills contribute to strengthening governance quality and urban economic resilience across Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries over the 2019–2024 timeframe. Using a panel data framework, the analysis incorporates Harris–Tzavalis unit root tests, multicollinearity diagnostics, and comparative fixed and random effects estimations selected via the Hausman test, with additional robustness checks for serial correlation. The findings indicate that digitalization exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on economic resilience, particularly when supported by effective corporate governance structures. At the same time, disparities in digital access highlight persistent structural vulnerabilities across CEE urban areas. The results emphasize the importance of integrating digital transformation and governance reforms into comprehensive resilience strategies. The study contributes to the emerging literature on post-pandemic urban recovery by offering empirical evidence from a heterogeneous regional context and providing policy-relevant insights for sustainable and inclusive urban development.