By Sun Zhiyan, Research Department of Development Strategies and Regional Economy, DRC & Wang Jingli, State Research Information Technology Co. Ltd.

Research Report, No.169, 2019 (Total 5669) 2019-9-24

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things and blockchain are the three most disruptive technological innovations in the new generation of technological revolution, which have a significant impact on the spatial layout and architecture of economic activities and the connections among regions. This paper gives an in-depth analysis of the regional effects of the new generation of technologies from the respective perspectives of technology substitution effect, scale monopoly effect and digitization. It notes that China needs to strengthen the prevention of technical unemployment and widening regional gap caused by technological substitution and heterogeneous diffusion and enhance the support for digital economy transformation in less developed regions; establish a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and training system covering less developed areas to create education opportunities of higher quality; build a social security system that matches the technological environment of the new generation and enforce risk assessment in areas with a net outflow of population and areas with a relatively high percentage of senior citizens; and establish a multi-level collaborative governance mechanism that is in step with new technologies and promote the sharing of the benefits generated from technological progress in different regions.

Key words: disruptive technology, regional differentiation, transformation of digital economy