What Business Environment Element Configuration Can Promote Urban Digitization Development?

As China's urban digitalization strategy advances to a new stage, the urgent issue of promoting urban digitalization development by optimizing the business environment requires immediate attention. Scholars have illustrated the positive impact of urban digital development on both the environment and sustainable growth. In our study, we utilized the "Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE)" framework to analyze a series of exemplary urban digitalization cases in China from 2021 onward. This analysis was conducted using the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method. Our primary findings reveal that government policies, digital talents, and digital infrastructure are key drivers in advancing urban digitalization. Specifically, we identified four distinct pathways, all involving various combinations of government environment, digital talents, and digital infrastructure, leading to significant urban digitalization. These insights uncover the connection between the business environment and urban digital growth. This relationship not only offers valuable guidance for future urban digital initiatives but also supports the broader goals of urban environmental sustainability.