Role of computing power infrastructure in shaping the geographic landscape AI enterprise in China

IF 7.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-24 DOI:10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103946

Fangye Du , Jiaoe Wang , Pei Zhang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

With the acceleration of digital transformation, demand for computing resources has surged, positioning computing power infrastructure (CPI) as a critical driver of emerging industries and a new force reshaping the geography of economic activity. Although existing research has examined the regional patterns of CPI, the mechanisms through which it shapes industrial spatial dynamics remain insufficiently understood. Using the artificial intelligence (AI) industry as an empirical case, this study applies a structural equation model to investigate how CPI, measured primarily through the service coverage and capacity of data centers, influences the spatial distribution of AI enterprises. The results show that: (1) CPI and AI enterprises exhibit strong spatial coupling, characterized by a marked east-west imbalance, although signs of synergistic growth have begun to appear in several regions. (2) The spatial configuration of AI enterprises is shaped by multiple forces, with CPI, economic development, innovation environment, policy support, and traditional infrastructure emerging as the most influential. A bidirectional but asymmetric relationship is observed between CPI and AI enterprise agglomeration. (3) The impact of CPI on AI enterprise location choices is significantly strengthened by regional economic development, innovation conditions, policy environment, and transportation and digital connectivity, which together enhance its ability to guide industrial clustering. This study provides new empirical evidence for understanding how digital infrastructure reorganizes spatial resource allocation, and offers policy implications for optimizing the spatial deployment of AI enterprises, improving regional CPI efficiency, and promoting more balanced digital development.

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计算能力基础设施在塑造中国人工智能企业地理景观中的作用

随着数字化转型的加速，对计算资源的需求激增，将计算能力基础设施（CPI）定位为新兴产业的关键驱动力和重塑经济活动地理的新力量。虽然现有的研究已经考察了CPI的区域格局，但其形成工业空间动态的机制仍然不够清楚。本文以人工智能（AI）行业为实证案例，运用结构方程模型考察CPI（主要通过数据中心的服务覆盖率和容量来衡量）如何影响人工智能企业的空间分布。研究结果表明：(1)CPI与AI企业的空间耦合性较强，呈现出明显的东西不平衡特征，但部分地区已开始出现协同增长的迹象；(2)人工智能企业空间格局受多种力量影响，其中CPI、经济发展、创新环境、政策支持、传统基础设施等影响最大。CPI与AI企业集聚之间存在双向但不对称的关系。③CPI对人工智能企业区位选择的影响被区域经济发展、创新条件、政策环境、交通与数字互联互通等因素显著增强，共同增强了其对产业集聚的引导能力。本研究为理解数字基础设施如何重组空间资源配置提供了新的实证证据，并为优化人工智能企业空间布局、提高区域CPI效率、促进更均衡的数字化发展提供了政策启示。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Applied Geography GEOGRAPHY-

CiteScore

8.00

自引率

2.00%

发文量

134

期刊介绍： Applied Geography is a journal devoted to the publication of research which utilizes geographic approaches (human, physical, nature-society and GIScience) to resolve human problems that have a spatial dimension. These problems may be related to the assessment, management and allocation of the world physical and/or human resources. The underlying rationale of the journal is that only through a clear understanding of the relevant societal, physical, and coupled natural-humans systems can we resolve such problems. Papers are invited on any theme involving the application of geographical theory and methodology in the resolution of human problems.