中国省域低空经济空间关联网络演化及驱动因素OACHSSCD

As a core emerging track for fostering new-quality productive forces and building a modern industrial system,the low-altitude economy has emerged as a pivotal growth pole for the transformation and upgrading of China's regional economy in the new era.China's low-altitude economy is currently undergoing rapid development,but it still faces prominent practical bottlenecks:unbalanced regional layout,missing cross-regional coordination mechanisms,and severe development fragmentation.Existing studies focus mostly on qualitative analysis of low-altitude economic development,leaving a notable research gap in quantitative investigations of its spatial correlation network structure,dynamic evolution patterns,and driving logic. Based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2014 to 2023,this paper aims to reveal the spatial correlation structure and cross-regional linkage mechanisms of China's low-altitude economic development.It carries out the analysis in three sequential steps.First,it constructs a comprehensive evaluation system for low-altitude economic development level across four dimensions:infrastructure,market participants,economic benefits,and airspace opening and utilization,and calculates the development level for each sample province.Second,it applies a modified gravity model to build an inter-provincial spatial correlation matrix,and uses Social Network Analysis(SNA)to systematically deconstruct the structural features and dynamic evolution patterns of the spatial correlation network.This analysis covers three levels:overall network characteristics,individual network characteristics,and block clustering.Third,it employs a Quadratic Assignment Procedure(QAP)regression model to identify and test the core factors driving the formation and evolution of the spatial correlation network. The study yields four key findings.First,the overall development level of China's low-altitude economy increased continuously over the sample period,with significant spatial disparities across regions and clear features of gradient distribution and dynamic evolution.Second,the development of the low-altitude economy has formed a complex cross-regional spatial correlation network.The overall network's connectivity,structural balance,and stability have improved continuously,with its structure optimized gradually.In terms of individual network characteristics,eastern provinces including Beijing,Shanghai,Jiangsu,and Zhejiang have long held the core positions in the network,while most central and western provinces lie at the network periphery.Third,there is a significant spatial spillover effect across the four identified blocks:the net benefit block,broker block,two-way spillover block,and net spillover block.Developed eastern provinces are mostly concentrated in the net benefit and broker blocks,while provinces in central,western,and northeastern China mainly fall into the two-way spillover and net spillover blocks.Fourth,geospatial proximity,financial development level,information and communication network infrastructure,social consumption level,and transportation infrastructure are the key factors driving the formation and evolution of the spatial correlation network. This paper makes four main innovative contributions.First,it constructs a multi-dimensional comprehensive evaluation system for low-altitude economic development level,improving the quantitative evaluation foundation for this research field.Second,it addresses the limitation of existing studies that focus predominantly on static analysis,and systematically examines the evolution characteristics of the low-altitude economy's spatial correlation network from a dynamic development perspective.Third,it combines the modified gravity model with SNA to accurately depict the intensity of inter-provincial low-altitude economic spatial correlation and the evolution patterns of its network structure.Fourth,it uses the QAP regression model to identify the core driving factors of spatial correlation,filling the research gap that existing studies focus mostly on qualitative analysis and lack empirical tests of the driving mechanism of spatial correlation.This paper enriches academic research on the regional development of the low-altitude economy.It also provides scientific decision-making support for the national government to coordinate the industrial layout of the low-altitude economy,optimize cross-regional infrastructure investment,and promote coordinated regional development.In addition,it holds practical value for building a unified and coordinated nationwide low-altitude economic ecosystem.