ROBOT ADOPTION AND URBAN TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY: EVIDENCE FROM CHINA
利用2003-2017年中国286个地级市面板数据，从理论和实证角度研究工业机器人采用对城市全要素生产率的影响，发现机器人采用能提升生产率，且对西部、欠发达和市场化程度较低地区效果更显著。
Industrial robots are having a profound and lasting impact on China’s economy. This research examines the deployment of industrial robots and their effects on urban total factor production from theoretical and empirical angles. It is created using panel data from 286 cities at the prefecture level between 2003 and 2017. It is found that: First, robot adoption promotes urban total factor productivity. Second, adopting robots has a more positive influence on urban total factor productivity development in western, underdeveloped, and less market-oriented areas compared to the developed and market-oriented areas in the east. Third, adopting robots could enhance urban innovation vitality, increase total factor productivity, boost industrial agglomeration, and improve technological progress or technical efficiency. Policy enlightenment provided by these findings can guide future technological advancements and promote high-quality city development.