The impact of intelligent manufacturing on Chinese manufacturing enterprises' performance in GVC

智能制造对中国制造业企业全球价值链分工的影响

Abstract

Intelligent manufacturing has become a key driver for upgrading China’s manufacturing industry and enhancing its position in global value chains (GVCs). This paper investigates how intelligent manufacturing capabilities affect Chinese manufacturing enterprises’ GVC performance from both value capture and value chain position dimensions. Drawing on panel data of Chinese listed manufacturing firms, combined with indicators of digital technology adoption, automation level, and data-driven decision-making, we construct an intelligent manufacturing index and embed it into a firm-level GVC performance framework. Using fixed-effects and mediation models, the study finds that intelligent manufacturing significantly improves firms’ GVC performance by increasing value-added margins, export sophistication, and the probability of moving toward higher-end segments of the value chain. Mechanism analysis shows that this positive effect operates mainly through three channels: upgrading product quality, enhancing production flexibility and efficiency, and strengthening collaborative innovation with upstream and downstream partners. Heterogeneity tests further reveal that the promoting effect is more pronounced in high-tech industries, coastal regions, and firms with stronger absorptive capacity. The findings provide empirical evidence that intelligent manufacturing is an effective pathway for Chinese manufacturing enterprises to move from “big” to “strong” in GVCs, and offer policy implications for digital upgrading and GVC reconfiguration.