Can Digital Transformation in Logistics Promote Sustainable Economic Development? Evidence from China

Digital transformation in logistics contributes to logistics cost reduction, helps optimize resource allocation and achieves sustainable economic development. This study constructs an evaluation indicator system for digital transformation in logistics and sustainable economic development, adopts the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2023, and empirically explores the impact of digital transformation in logistics on sustainable economic development. The results show that logistics digital transformation can positively promote the sustainable development of the economy. Factor market development plays a mediating role, whereas information technology industry agglomeration plays a moderating role. The impact of digital transformation in logistics on sustainable economic development shows a nonlinear threshold effect. A heterogeneity analysis suggests that the impact of digital transformation in logistics on sustainable economic development is more significant in the eastern region, especially from 2015 to 2023. This study helps increase our understanding of the macroeconomic impact of digital transformation in logistics, provides new perspectives and empirical evidence on the economic outcomes of digital transformation in the logistics industry, enriches the investigation of influencing factors for sustainable economic development, and provides new insights for sustainable economic development.