Abstract:

Based on the provincial-level sample data from 2010 to 2022 in China， this study empirically examines the impact of the institutional environment on the level of new quality productive forces. The results indicate a significantly positive correlation between the institutional environment and the level of new quality productive forces， meaning that a sound institutional environment helps enhance new quality productive forces. The results of the study remained robust after addressing endogeneity through instrumental variable methods and multiple additional robustness tests. Further research revealed that enhancing technological innovation capability serves as a crucial pathway through which the institutional environment promotes the development of new quality productive forces. Moreover， this promoting effect is more pronounced in provinces with higher levels of openness to the world， greater human capital， and larger labor forces. Tests on the sub-indices of the institutional environment revealed that the government-market relationship， the development of the non-state economy， the degree of product market development， the degree of factor market development， the development of market intermediaries and the legal institutional environment are all significantly positively correlated with the level of new quality productive forces. These findings provide empirical support at the macro inter-provincial level for exploring pathways to enhance new quality productive forces.

Key words: institutional environment, new quality productive forces, technological innovation