The Impact of Geopolitical Risks on Digital Innovation Among Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Beijing

Against the backdrop of an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, geopolitical risks have become a key external variable influencing digital innovation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Focusing on SMEs in Beijing, this study employs a questionnaire survey to explore the internal mechanisms through which geopolitical risks affect corporate digital innovation. The questionnaire survey of 102 SMEs in Beijing reveals that geopolitical risks exert a dual impact on corporate digital innovation-both inhibiting and driving it. Although enterprises have implemented self-help measures, their risk-resilience varies significantly. Enterprises have an urgent need for subsidy and financing policies, yet gaps remain in the current policy offerings. Based onfindings, these this paper develops a self-assessment tool for corporate geopolitical risks and offers practical insights from three dimensions: corporate risk assessment, government public services, and social science research and practice.At the same time, the paper objectively analyzes research limitations-such as sample distribution and analytical methods-to provide a reference for the digital development of Beijing’s SMEs and for subsequent related empirical studies.