Research on the Driving Effect of Digital Transformation on Modern Engineering Management Efficiency and Regional Economic Growth

Abstract

This study investigates how digital transformation functions as a dual-engine driving both modern engineering management efficiency and regional economic growth, bridging micro-level organizational practices with meso-level spatial development outcomes. Drawing on an integrated theoretical framework that synthesizes engineering informatics, organizational capability theory, and regional innovation systems, the research addresses a critical knowledge gap: the under-explored causal linkage between firm-level digitization---such as building information modeling integration, real-time sensor networks, and AI-enabled risk forecasting---and broader territorial economic performance. A mixed-mode methodology combines a stratified survey of 217 Class-A engineering firms across China's infrastructure sectors with prefecture-level panel data spanning 2018 to 2023. Digital maturity is rigorously measured using internationally aligned capability scales, while regional outcomes are assessed through GDP growth, industrial output, and innovation intensity indicators, all embedded within spatial econometric models that account for geographic spillovers and interregional dependencies. Results demonstrate statistically significant efficiency gains at the project level---including nearly one-fifth reduction in schedule overruns and over one-fifth acceleration in design approval cycles---strongly associated with advanced digital integration capabilities. At the regional scale, higher concentrations of digitally mature engineering firms correlate with measurable premiums in economic growth, particularly where digital infrastructure density and local innovation absorption capacity reinforce one another. Spatial analysis reveals pronounced clustering effects, with strongest spillovers observed in economically dynamic corridors such as the Yangtze River Delta. The study further identifies ownership structure and supply chain digitization as pivotal moderators and mediators, respectively, shaping how localized technological adoption translates into wider developmental impact. By formalizing the concept of "digital engineering elasticity," this work advances co-evolutionary thinking in infrastructure development and offers empirically grounded guidance for policy design, industry standards, and strategic investment in digital-physical convergence.