Regional patterns and drivers of green, digital and twin technological diversification in China
利用中国城市专利数据，分析了各地区在绿色、数字及双重（绿色-数字）技术上的多样化模式，发现数字创新自2012年以来快速增长且集中于东部，绿色创新更分散，双重技术有限且空间不平等，相关性预测进入各领域，复杂性构成障碍。
The twin transition promises a path to sustainability, but its regional dynamics in emerging economies are unclear. This study systematically analyses how Chinese regions diversify into green, digital and twin (green–digital) technologies. Using city-level patent data, we find that digital innovation surged since 2012, outpacing green technologies, and is highly concentrated in eastern hubs. Green innovation is more dispersed, while twin technologies remain limited and even more spatially unequal. Relatedness predicts entry across domains, but complexity poses barriers. These findings reveal the uneven geography of China’s twin transition, highlighting the need for tailored, place-based policy responses.