How intelligent manufacturing and digital economy shape enterprises' positions in global value chains: evidence from 'Made in China 2025'

Intelligent manufacturing and digital economy are both crucial drivers of enterprise development, particularly in the context of global value chain (GVC) integration. This study aims to investigate how intelligent manufacturing influences enterprises' positions within GVCs and explore the moderating effect of digital economy, using the 'Made in China 2025' initiative as a quasi-natural experiment and constructing a difference-in-differences (DID) model. Based on ecological niche theory, this study finds that intelligent manufacturing enhances GVC positioning through three primary mechanisms: capital effects, innovation effects, and signalling effects. Moreover, digital economy amplifies these effects by improving global connectivity, enabling data-driven decision-making, and facilitating seamless trade. This study provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how the integration of intelligent manufacturing and digital economy strategies can help enterprises strengthen their ecological niches, enhance their competitive advantages, and accelerate their integration into the global economy.