Synergistic Evolution or Competitive Disruption? Analysing the Dynamic Interaction Between Digital and Real Economies in Henan, China, Based on Panel Data

Yaping Zhu, Qingwei Xu (), Chutong Hao, Shuaishuai Geng and Bingjun Li
Additional contact information
Yaping Zhu: College of Information and Management Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Qingwei Xu: College of Information and Management Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Chutong Hao: College of Information and Management Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Shuaishuai Geng: College of Information and Management Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Bingjun Li: College of Information and Management Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China

Data, 2025, vol. 10, issue 8, 1-37

Abstract: In the digital transformation era, understanding the relationship between digital and real economies is vital for regional development. This study analyses the interaction between these two economies in Henan Province using panel data from 18 cities (2011–2023). It incorporates policy support intensity through fuzzy set theory, applies an integrated weighting method to measure development levels, and uses regression models to assess the digital economy’s impact on the real economy. The coupling coordination degree model, kernel density estimation, and Gini coefficient reveal the coordination status and spatial distribution, while the ecological Lotka–Volterra model identifies the symbiotic patterns. The key findings are as follows: (1) The digital economy does not directly determine the state of the real economy. For example, cities such as Zhoukou and Zhumadian have low digital economy levels but high real economy levels. However, the development of the digital economy promotes the real economy without signs of diminishing returns. (2) The two economies are generally coordinated but differ spatially, with greater coordination in the Central Plains urban agglomeration. (3) The digital and real economies exhibit both collaboration and competition, with reciprocal mutualism as the dominant mode of integration. These insights provide guidance for policymakers and offer a new perspective on the integration of both economies.

Keywords: digital economy and real economy; interactive relationship; panel data; policy support intensity; regression analysis; Lotka–Volterra model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C8 C80 C81 C82 C83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5729/10/8/126/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5729/10/8/126/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jdataj:v:10:y:2025:i:8:p:126-:d:1717012

Access Statistics for this article

Data is currently edited by Ms. Cecilia Yang

More articles in Data from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().