The Impact of Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones on Enterprise Innovation Capability: An Empirical Study Based on Staggered DID

Main Article Content

Jingkai Yang
School of Economics and Management, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.70267/icrafm.202617249263

Keywords

Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones, staggered DID, enterprise innovation capability, talent agglomeration, R&D investment

Abstract

Based on Chinese A-share listed firms from 2010 to 2022, this study employs a staggered difference-in-differences design to examine the causal effect of Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones (CCEZ) on enterprise innovation capability. We find that CCEZ significantly increase firms' invention patent grants, corresponding to an average increase of approximately 6.1%. The main finding remains broadly stable across parallel-trends checks, the spatial placebo test, alternative samples and dependent variables, and CS-DID estimation. Mechanism analysis provides evidence consistent with three transmission channels: talent agglomeration, intensified market competition, and increased R&D investment. Heterogeneity analysis indicates stronger effects among firms in central and western regions, non-state-owned enterprises, high-tech industries, and competitive industries. This study provides causal evidence on how digital-trade policy affects firm innovation and offers empirical implications for optimizing cross-border e-commerce policy design. Because the sample is limited to Chinese A-share listed firms, the external validity of the findings to other countries and unlisted firms remains to be established.

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Published
Oct 19, 2026
Conference Proceedings Volume
Vol. 17 (2026): Proceedings of the International Conference on Research in Accounting, Finance and Management (ICRAFM 2026)
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How to Cite

Yang, Jingkai. “The Impact of Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones on Enterprise Innovation Capability: An Empirical Study Based on Staggered DID”. Exploring Science Academic Conference Series, vol. 17, Oct. 2026, pp. 249-63, https://doi.org/10.70267/icrafm.202617249263.