The Sustainable Driving Force of Digital Elements: A Study on the Green Industrial Upgrading of Regional Manufacturing from the Perspective of Innovation Ecosystems

Against the global backdrop of the manufacturing industry (MFI)’s transition toward sustainability, we investigated the impact mechanisms and spatial effects of digital elements on the green upgrading of manufacturing industries. Based on an innovation ecosystem perspective, we utilize panel data from 13 prefecture-level cities in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region of China spanning 2003 to 2023, employing a spatial Durbin model (SDM) for empirical analysis. The findings reveal the following: (1) Both digital element inputs and manufacturing green upgrading in the BTH region exhibit significant positive spatial correlation, with the latter demonstrating notable path dependence. (2) While digital elements significantly drive local manufacturing green upgrading, they also generate a spatial siphon effect at the regional level, exerting a certain inhibitory impact on the green upgrading of neighboring areas. (3) Mechanism analysis indicates that local digital elements facilitate manufacturing green upgrading by enhancing firms’ digital innovation capabilities, stimulating consumer digital demand, and optimizing corporate resource allocation efficiency. This research provides theoretical support and empirical evidence for governments to formulate targeted digital economy policies and promote low-carbon, green development in the manufacturing industry (MFI).