Delineating polycentric megacity regions based on intra- and extra-regional economic transactions between emerging high-tech industries and producer services: a case study on the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, China

Jili Xu, Xu Zhang, Haitao Ma () and Yeyao Ye ()
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Jili Xu: Guangdong Academy of Sciences
Xu Zhang: Wuhan University of Technology
Haitao Ma: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yeyao Ye: Guangdong Academy of Sciences

Palgrave Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Polycentric megacity regions (MCRs) have been widely recognised as pivotal engines of economic development, the study of which necessitates scholarly attention to the up-to-date economic dynamics underpinning regional competitiveness and refining spatial divisions of labour. This study aims to delineate functional polycentric MCRs by delving into intra- and extra-regional economic transactions between emerging high-tech industries and producer services, using a case study of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in China. Key findings are threefold. First, the functional polycentric development of the GBA MCR based on intra- and extra-regional economic transactions remains at a nascent development stage, reflecting transitional economic restructuring processes. Second, the degree of functional polycentricity of the GBA increases when it upscales from the intra- to extra-regional level. Third, different types of producer services that meet the development needs of emerging high-tech industries play distinctive roles in shaping polycentric development within and beyond the GBA MCR. This study extends an economically grounded understanding of functional polycentric MCRs, nuanced by micro-level heterogeneous economic agents.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05164-5

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