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Measurement and Spatial Correlation Analysis of the Development Level of the Digital Economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13329; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813329

by Hui Chu, Yuncai Ning^* and Xiaotong Qie^*

Reviewer 1: Anonymous

Reviewer 2: Anonymous

Reviewer 3:

Kyriaki I. Kafka

Reviewer 4: Anonymous

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13329; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813329

Submission received: 4 July 2023 / Revised: 29 August 2023 / Accepted: 29 August 2023 / Published: 5 September 2023

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Authors

The article discusses the issues of the development of the digital economy and its impact on carbon, on economic expansion, and on increasing employment opportunities.

The authors indicate the impact of the digital economy on various aspects of social development, on entrepreneurship, on eliminating location barriers, and on strengthening local integration.

The authors construct a system of indicators for assessing the level of development of the digital economy of the city cluster of the Yangtze River Delta in 5 dimensions: digital infrastructure, digital industry development, digital human resources, digital innovation capability and digitalization level.

The Authors made a comprehensive assessment of the level of development of the digital economy of 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta city cluster.

The article is interesting and well prepared in terms of methodology.

However, I have a few comments:

1) There are too many repetitions in the article. Chapter 5.1 - It's Been Before. It's not needed here.

2) What did the authors conclude in section 5.2? They hadn't written about it before.

3) In conclusion you should rather give a summary and recommendations.

Please clearly define the scientific novelty of the article.

4) Please specify the Authors' contribution to the development of science or a specific scientific discipline

5) Please specify what are the limitations of this study.

6) Please indicate how the results of the study of the local cluster of Yangtze River Delta cities can be used in other parts of the world.

7) Please consider supplementing the references with the following publications.

1. Yang, C, Kwilinski, A., Chygryn, O., Lyulyov, )., Pimonenko, T. The Green Competitiveness of Enterprises: Justifying the Quality Criteria of Digital Marketing Communication Channels. Sustainability 13 (24), 13679: 1-13

2. Kwilinski, A. Mechanism of Formation of Industrial Enterprise Development Strategy in the Information Economy. Virtual Economics 2018, 1(1), 7-25

3. Kuzior, A., Kuzior, P. The quadruple helix model as a smart city design principle. Virtual Economics 2020, 3(1), 39-57

4. Kuzior, A., Vasylieva, T., Kuzmenko, O., Koibichuk, V., Brożek, P. Global digital convergence: Impact of cybersecurity, business transparency, economic transformation, and AML efficiency. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity 2022, 8 (4), 195

Good luck

Reviewer

Author Response

Dear Reviewer:

Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Measurement and Spatial Correlation Analysis of the Development Level of Digital Economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration” (Manuscript ID: sustainability-2515103). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our research. Based on these comments and suggestions, we have made substantial revisions of the manuscript. All changes made are marked in red in the revised manuscript. Below you will find our point-by-point responses to your and the reviewers’ comments and questions.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

This is an interesting topic and appropriate topic for the core area for the development of China's digital economy.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Minor editing of English language required

Author Response

Measurement and Spatial Correlation Analysis of the Development Level of Digital Economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Manuscript ID: sustainability-2515103

Dear Editor:

Responses to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #1:

This is an interesting topic and appropriate topic for the core area for the development of China's digital economy. For the benefit of the reader, I think the following improvements could be made:

Response:

Thanks very much for your acknowledging our manuscript. In this revision, we have tried our best to revise this manuscript according to your and the other reviewers’ comments. We hope that this revision can address your concerns satisfactorily.

The manuscript should add a map to the description of the study area (the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region in China) for readers from around the world.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review and for your suggestion. According to your suggestion, we add a map to the description of the study area in section 1. Please refer to the Figure 1 in the revised manuscript, which is also listed here for your reference.

Figure 1. Location of the YRDUA.

Some figures (Fig1-fig3) can be further polished by using some software(gephi ).

Response:

Thanks for pointing out this issue. According to your suggestion, Figure 1- Figure 3 were further polished by using the gephi software. Please refer to the Figure 2- Figure4 in the revised manuscript, which is also listed here for your reference.

Figure 2. Digital Economy Network of the YRDUA in 2011.

Figure 3. Digital Economy Network of the YRDUA in 2016.

Figure 4. Digital Economy Network of the YRDUA in 2021.

3.There is no quantitative description of the results in the Abstract 3. Reference should be added to the overview section of Description of Study Areas.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review. Following your suggestions, we have revised the abstract by adding some quantitative description of the results. The revised text is marked in red in the revised abstract. Please refer to lines 12-21 in the revised manuscript, which is also listed here for your reference.

“The results show that: (1) the level of digital economy in the YRDUA has increased during 2011-2021, with Hangzhou having the highest digital economy development level of 0.513 in 2021. (2) The digital economy network density of the YRDUA increased from 0.155 in 2011 to 0.158 in 2016, and then decreased to 0.151 in 2021, showing an "inverted U-shaped" trend of first in-creasing and then decreasing. (3) Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Wuxi play the role of "bridge" in the digital economy network, and the pattern of linkage development of neigh-boring cities driven by the central cities of Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Hefei has basically formed. These findings of the study provide data support and reference for the coordinated development of digital economy in the YRDUA, and are of theoretical and practical significance for the synergistic development of cities.”

Line255-285, The methodology section lacks references related to Social network analysis.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review and for your suggestion. We have added references related to social network analysis to descript this process of this method. The added references is marked in red in the revised version.

This manuscript did not provide too much description of the limitations of the research.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review and for your suggestion. Based on your comments, we have revised the section 4 of the article. We have added a "Discussion" section in Section 4 to discuss and summarize the conclusions of this study. And the limitations and future research directions of this study are also noted in this section. Please refer to the text on pp. 13-14 in the revised manuscript.

The overall research of the paper is still relatively simple and lacks obvious innovation, however, the study area is still a region worth paying attention to for the sustainable digital economy.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review. We have emphasized the study area of this paper as the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration in the introductory, the discussion, and the conclusions and policy implications of the article, further highlighting the importance of the results in this paper.

Thank you again for your hard work and valuable suggestions, your review comments have positively influenced the quality and academic value of our paper.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Regarding the introduction, the text could benefit from improved formatting, and punctuation. Some sentences are overly long and could be broken down for better readability. While the overall focus on the Yangtze River Delta is well-justified, the introduction could benefit from a more explicit statement about what sets this study apart from previous research. Moreover, although the introduction hints at the methodologies employed (entropy weighting method, modified gravity model, etc.), it may be beneficial to articulate why these specific methods were chosen.

The literature review section could provide a more in-depth critical evaluation of the referenced works, highlighting limitations, controversies, and inconsistencies in the existing literature. Moreover, the section could provide more insights into the broader implications of the digital economy, connecting the findings with social, economic, or political trends. An explanation of why there is limited research in certain areas, such as spatial structure, would add depth. While various sources are cited, there may be room to include more recent studies that could offer updated perspectives on the topics discussed. The review could also benefit from brief explanations or descriptions of the methodologies and tools mentioned (e.g., entropy method, geographic detectors, spatial Markov chains), especially for readers unfamiliar with these techniques.

The methodology and the empirical results section are ok for me. However, the authors should provide a separate section discussing the empirical results.

It will enhance the conclusions if the authors delve deeper into the root causes of the regional variances in digital economy development, linking these with the data and methodology used. Some of the policy recommendations seem generic and could benefit from more specific, actionable insights tailored to the unique characteristics and needs of the Yangtze River Delta city cluster. The policy implications mainly focus on government actions, and it might be beneficial to explore implications and recommendations for other stakeholders, such as private industry, educational institutions, or international organizations.

Author Response

Measurement and Spatial Correlation Analysis of the Development Level of Digital Economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Manuscript ID: sustainability-2515103

Dear Editor:

Responses to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #3:

Response:

According to your suggestion, some sentences are broken down for better readability in the introduction. We have revised the article to clearly state the purpose and significance of the study in the introduction. Further, we have also stated in the introduction and literature review the differences between the study in this paper and existing studies, as well as the rationale for the choice of research methodology. Please refer to pp. 2-4 in the revised manuscript

Response:

Thank you for your careful review and for your suggestion. Based on your comments, we have revised the literature review section of the article. We have noticed that in the previous version, the literature review section lacked comparison and summarization. To address this issue, we have made the following changes: first, we have reorganized the structure and framework of the literature review to ensure that the whole review is logical. Second, we summarized the existing literature and highlighted the core ideas and main conclusions of the study. Third, a separate paragraph listed the research contributions of the study. Please see the detailed revisions on pp. 3-4 in the revised manuscript.

The methodology and the empirical results section are ok for me. However, the authors should provide a separate section discussing the empirical results.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review and for your suggestion. According to your suggestion, we have added a "Discussion" section in Section 4 to compare the results of this study with the existing results, and to discuss and summarize the conclusions of this study. And the limitations and future research directions of this study are also noted in this section. Please refer to the text on pp. 13-14 in the revised manuscript.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review. Following your suggestions, we have emphasized the study area of this paper as the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration in the introductory, the discussion, and the conclusions and policy implications of the article, further highlighting the importance of the results in this paper. We have also proposed a summary and recommendations in the section 5 based on the study findings. The policy implications other stakeholders, such as private industry, educational institutions, or international organizations is mentioned in the revised version. The revised text is marked in red in the revised version, and please refer to the revised introduction and literature review on pp. 14-15 in the revised manuscript.

Thank you again for your hard work and valuable suggestions, your review comments have positively influenced the quality and academic value of our paper.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

The abstract needed to be revised as follows, objectives, method, results, and contribution.

The past studies are not up-to-date and comprehensive enough needed to be updated with the most recent papers related to the models used.

The manuscript has not addressed the research gaps in past studies to fill them and show the study contributions in the models used.

The establishment of the models and showing their contribution to the knowledge gaps based on the past studies gaps filling to show the study contributions should be written.

The results generated should be explained based on the study issues and the findings of the past studies should be written based on the comparison of the past studies' findings.

It should be recommendations based on the study findings and policy implications based on the study’s most significant findings.

Author Response

Measurement and Spatial Correlation Analysis of the Development Level of Digital Economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Manuscript ID: sustainability-2515103

Dear Editor:

Responses to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #4:

The abstract needed to be revised as follows, objectives, method, results, and contribution.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review. Following your suggestions, we have revised the abstract as follows, objectives, method, results, and contribution. The revised text is marked in red in the revised abstract. Please refer to lines 12-21 in the revised manuscript, which is also listed here for your reference.

The past studies are not up-to-date and comprehensive enough needed to be updated with the most recent papers related to the models used.

Response:

The manuscript has not addressed the research gaps in past studies to fill them and show the study contributions in the models used.

The establishment of the models and showing their contribution to the knowledge gaps based on the past studies gaps filling to show the study contributions should be written.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review and for your suggestion. We have reorganized the introduction and literature review section to explain the shortcomings of the existing studies in the literature and state the contribution of this paper in a separate paragraph.

Please refer to the revised introduction and literature review on pp. 4 in the revised manuscript, which is also listed here for your reference.

The results generated should be explained based on the study issues and the findings of the past studies should be written based on the comparison of the past studies' findings.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review and for your suggestion. According to your suggestion, we have added a "Discussion" section in Section 4 to compare the results of this study with the existing results, and to discuss and summarize the conclusions of this study. Please refer to the text on pp. 14-15 in the revised manuscript

It should be recommendations based on the study findings and policy implications based on the study’s most significant findings.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review. Following your suggestions, we have also proposed a summary and recommendations in the section 5 based on the study findings. The policy implications for the development of digital economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration are proposed based the conclusions of this study. The revised text is marked in red in the revised version, and please refer to the revised introduction and literature review on pp. 14-15 in the revised manuscript.

Thank you again for your hard work and valuable suggestions, your review comments have positively influenced the quality and academic value of our paper.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Authors

Thank you for preparing the revised version of the manuscript. Most of my comments are taken into account, however, what the Authors added to the manuscript still needs to be corrected.

In response to note 4, the authors listed what they did in their research, but there is still no information on what contribution the authors made to the development of science, to the development of the scientific discipline they represent or to the development of interdisciplinary research. This needs to be supplemented.

In response to remark 6, the authors write very generally that the results may be helpful in research on the digital economy in other regions of China and in other countries, e.g. avoiding mistakes (what?). This requires more detail.

In section 4.3. The authors write "the network density of digital economy in the YRDUA is generally low" and list some of the reasons. It is also important to note here that one of the causes of unsustainable development is the lack of proper dissemination and distribution of knowledge, lack of proper cooperation between business, local government, science and society. These correlations are clearly presented in the recommended article - https://doi.org/10.34021/ve.2020.03.01(2). An important aspect of cybersecurity and the impact of specific indicators on the levels of digital development of the country have not been taken into account - https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8040195. These important aspects need to be supplemented.

Section 5 partly repeats what was already contained in section 4.3. Section 4.3 itself, for the sake of discussion, is pretty weak. Requires extension.

In my opinion, the article still needs corrections and additions.

Kind regards

Reviewer

Author Response

Measurement and Spatial Correlation Analysis of the Development Level of Digital Economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Manuscript ID: sustainability-2515103

Dear Editor:

Responses to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #1:

Thank you for preparing the revised version of the manuscript. Most of my comments are taken into account, however, what the Authors added to the manuscript still needs to be corrected.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review and for your suggestion. Following your suggestions, we have revised the contribution to list not only what we have done in our research, but also to add information about the contribution of this research to the development of scientific disciplines in related fields.

Please refer to the revised contributions on pp. 4 in the revised manuscript, which is also listed here for your reference.

“The above-mentioned deficiencies motivate this research. Apart from previous studies, this study contributes to the existing literature in the following ways: (1) We constructed an evaluation index system for the digital economy development level of the YRDUA in five dimensions: digital infrastructure, digital industry development, digital human resources, digital innovation ability, and digitalization degree. Compared with existing studies, the design of this system not only helps to enrich the relevant theoretical basis, but also can take into account multiple aspects of the development of the digital economy in a more comprehensive way during the assessment process, thus ensuring that the evaluation results are more comprehensive and objective. (2) We used the entropy weight method and coefficient of variation method to assign weights to the indicators, which eliminates the one-sidedness and bias that may be brought by the traditional subjective assignment method, and more objectively calculates the weights of the indicators to measure the digital economy development index of the YRDUA. This index can more accurately reflect the overall development of the digital economy in the YRDUA, reveal the strengths and shortcomings of each city, and provide a more valuable reference basis for policy formulation and resource allocation in the field of digital economy in the YRDUA. (3) By using the modified gravity model and social network analysis method, an empirical analysis was conducted on the structure of the digital economy network in the YRDUA. Spatial network correlation and time-spatial evolution characteristics of the digital economy in the YRDUA were investigated. These investigations not only enrich the theory of digital economy spatial correlation relationship, but also provide important data support and guidance for the development of digital economy in the YRDUA, and promote the implementation of the strategy of coordinated regional development.”

Response:

Thanks for pointing out this issue. In the revised version, we've added a more detailed description of how the findings could help digital economy research elsewhere, giving examples of some of the mistakes that could be avoided by other countries learning from the study. The revised text is marked in red in the revised version, please refer to the revised text on lines 447-466 in the revised manuscript, which is also listed here for your reference.

“…

As the YRDUA plays an important role as the engine of China's economic development, its digital economy research findings are typical and representative to a certain extent. These findings above are of significant value for the study of the digital economy in urban agglomerations in China and other countries. Findings also help to reveal the level of development and spatial characteristics of the digital economy in the YRDUA, as well as the formulation of policies and strategies that are conducive to promoting the development of the digital economy [36, 37]. Moreover, these findings can provide useful references for urban agglomerations in other countries in the process of digital transformation and help them avoid repeating the mistakes already made by the YRDUA in the process of digital transformation. The YRDUA has already encountered a series of challenges and barriers in the development of the digital economy, such as in-appropriate technology deployment, unsuitable policies, and insufficient market competition. Urban agglomerations in other countries can avoid similar problems by learning from the experience of the YRDUA. For example, the YRDUA experienced problems in the early stages of digital transformation due to the lack of appropriate legal and regulatory support, and other countries can avoid similar legal obstacles by establishing a useful legal framework in advance. In addition to this, the YRDUA may have tried unsuccessful innovations or business models in the development of the digital economy, which are also lessons that other countries can learn from. The digital economy development journey of the YRDUA is a valuable case study with many valuable lessons and experiences that can help urban agglomerations in other countries avoid some of the steps that have proved to be wrong in their digital transformation and achieve successful digital economy development more quickly.

…”

Response:

Thank you for your careful review. Following your suggestions, we have further analyzed the reasons for the generally low network density of the digital economy in the YRDUA. Based on the original analyses, we pointed out that the reasons for unsustainable development also include the lack of proper dissemination and distribution of knowledge, lack of proper cooperation between business, local government, science and society. In addition to this, cybersecurity, as well as cybersecurity-related facilities, technologies, and policies, were also pointed as important aspects affecting the development of the digital economy. The revised text is marked in red in the revised version, please refer to the revised text on lines 395-423 in the revised manuscript, which is also listed here for your reference

“…

According to the index system and empirical model constructed in this paper, this paper provides a comprehensive measurement of the digital development level of the YRDUA from 2011 to 2021, and analyses the spatial distribution pattern and spatial correlation characteristics of the digital economy development in the YRDUA. It is found that the network density of the digital economy in the YRDUA is generally low, which is less than 0.2 during the study period, consistent with the conclusion of Xu et al. [15]. This indicates that the spatial correlation network connection of the digital economy in the YRDUA is not close enough, and there is still much room for improvement and enhancement. The possible reasons for this are manifold, including the combined effects of imbalanced development among cities, industrial differences, cooperation mechanisms, technological barriers and, market competition. Imbalanced urban development may result in some areas accumulating a lot of resources in the digital economy while other areas lag. This imbalance affects the balanced distribution of digital economy activities within city clusters, thereby constraining the formation and development of spatially connected networks. At the same time, differences between industries also affect the degree of agglomeration of digital economy activities, which in turn affects the synergistic growth of the digital economy within city clusters. These problems are important reasons for the unsustainable development of the digital economy, which stems from the lack of proper knowledge dissemination and distribution, in-adequate cooperation mechanisms within urban agglomerations, and the lack of proper cooperation between enterprises, local governments, science, and society, whereby the sharing of in-formation and the integration of resources will be limited, leading to the existence of information silos and restricting the sharing of knowledge and experience, thus affecting the cross-regional integration of the digital economy [33]. Apart from that, cybersecurity, as well as cybersecurity-related facilities, technologies, and policies, are also important aspects affecting the development of the digital economy [34]. The development of the digital economy is closely dependent on information technology and Internet infrastructure. However, this also makes the digital economy more vulnerable to threats such as cyber-attacks, data leakage and malware. In the event of a cybersecurity incident, it could not only lead to significant losses for businesses and individuals, but also affect market confidence and consumer trust in the digital economy, which in turn could affect its stable and sustainable growth and limit technological progress in the digital economy.

…”

Section 5 partly repeats what was already contained in section 4.3. Section 4.3 itself, for the sake of discussion, is pretty weak. Requires extension.

Response:

Thank you for your careful review and for your suggestion. Following your suggestion, we have revised the content of section 4.3. We have further discussed the findings and, taking into account your previous comments, we have expanded the analysis. The revised text is marked in red in the revised version, please refer to the revised text on lines 394-472 in the revised manuscript.

In my opinion, the article still needs corrections and additions.

Response:

In this round of revision, we have tried our best to revise this manuscript according to your further comments. We hope that this revision can address your concerns satisfactorily. Thank you again for your hard work and valuable suggestions, your review comments have positively influenced the quality and academic value of our paper.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

All comments are addressed, and I think the manuscript can get published.

Author Response

Measurement and Spatial Correlation Analysis of the Development Level of Digital Economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Manuscript ID: sustainability-2515103

Dear Editor:

Responses to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #3:

All comments are addressed, and I think the manuscript can get published.

Response:

Thank you very much for your efforts and advice. We are honored that you appreciated our efforts.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 3

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Authors

1. The description of the authors' contribution to the development of science has been supplemented (p. 4). I thank you for making these changes and I accept these additions without further corrections.

2. The Authors added more detailed explanations in the excerpt, lines 457-471 ("...and help them avoid repeating the mistakes already made by the YRDUA in the process of digital transformation. The YRDUA has already encountered a series of challenges and barriers in the development of the digital economy, such as in-appropriate technology deployment, unsuitable policies, and insufficient market competition. Urban agglomerations in other countries can avoid similar problems by learning from the experience of the YRDUA. For example, the YRDUA experienced problems in the early stages of digital transformation due to the lack of appropriate legal and regulatory support, and other countries can avoid similar legal obstacles by establishing a useful legal framework in advance. In addition to this, the YRDUA may have tried unsuccessful innovations or business models in the development of the digital economy, which are also lessons that other countries can learn from. The digital economy development journey of the YRDUA is a valuable case study with many valuable lessons and experiences that can help urban agglomerations in other countries avoid some of the steps that have proved to be wrong in their digital transformation and achieve successful digital economy development more quickly."). I think this is better presented now than in the previous version.

3. The Authors drew attention to the issues of spreading and distributing knowledge, cooperation between science, business, local government and society, and cybersecurity. In my opinion, these are very important topics. Thank you for highlighting these issues and completing the article. I think that in future research these threads could be developed.

4. Thank you for introducing additions to the Discusion.

5. Finally, a little technical note.

Reference No. 34 is misspelled, it should be corrected:

Kuzior, A., Vasylieva, T., Kuzmenko, O., Koibichuk, V., Brożek, P. Global Digital Convergence: Impact of Cybersecurity, Business Transparency, Economic Transformation, and AML Efficiency. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2022, 8(4), 195.

6. Conclusion

In my opinion, the article after technical corrections can be accepted for publication.

Sincerely

Reviewer

Author Response

Measurement and Spatial Correlation Analysis of the Development Level of Digital Economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Manuscript ID: sustainability-2515103

Dear Editor:

Responses to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #1:

The description of the authors' contribution to the development of science has been supplemented (p. 4). I thank you for making these changes and I accept these additions without further corrections.

Response:

Thank you very much for taking the time to review our manuscript and for providing your insightful feedback. We greatly appreciate your careful evaluation of our work. We are pleased to acknowledge that the additions we incorporated based on your suggestions have met your approval. Your guidance has been instrumental in refining the content and enhancing the overall quality of the manuscript.

The Authors added more detailed explanations in the excerpt, lines 457-471 ("...and help them avoid repeating the mistakes already made by the YRDUA in the process of digital transformation. The YRDUA has already encountered a series of challenges and barriers in the development of the digital economy, such as in-appropriate technology deployment, unsuitable policies, and insufficient market competition. Urban agglomerations in other countries can avoid similar problems by learning from the experience of the YRDUA. For example, the YRDUA experienced problems in the early stages of digital transformation due to the lack of appropriate legal and regulatory support, and other countries can avoid similar legal obstacles by establishing a useful legal framework in advance. In addition to this, the YRDUA may have tried unsuccessful innovations or business models in the development of the digital economy, which are also lessons that other countries can learn from. The digital economy development journey of the YRDUA is a valuable case study with many valuable lessons and experiences that can help urban agglomerations in other countries avoid some of the steps that have proved to be wrong in their digital transformation and achieve successful digital economy development more quickly."). I think this is better presented now than in the previous version.

Response:

Thank you very much for your efforts and advice. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your thoughtful review of our manuscript. Your insights and feedback have been incredibly valuable in helping us refine our work and present it in the best possible manner. We are honored that you appreciated our efforts.

The Authors drew attention to the issues of spreading and distributing knowledge, cooperation between science, business, local government and society, and cybersecurity. In my opinion, these are very important topics. Thank you for highlighting these issues and completing the article. I think that in future research these threads could be developed.

Response:

Thank you for highlighting these issues and we are pleased that you have commented positively on our article. You mentioned the possibility of further expanding on these topics in future research, and we couldn't agree more. We will take your suggestions into consideration and endeavor to explore these topics in depth in our future research, contributing more insights and thoughts to the development of related fields. Thank you again for your professional evaluation and valuable suggestions. We look forward to more opportunities to communicate and cooperate with you in the future.

Thank you for introducing additions to the Discussion.

Response:

Thank you very much for your efforts and advice. We are grateful for your review and for acknowledging the additional content we included in the Discussion section.

Finally, a little technical note.

Reference No. 34 is misspelled, it should be corrected:

Response:

Thanks for pointing out this issue. In the revised version, we've corrected reference No. 34 according to your suggestion. The revised text is marked in red in the revised version, please refer to the revised text on lines 592-594 in the revised manuscript, which is also listed here for your reference.

“

…

[34] Kuzior, A., Vasylieva, T., Kuzmenko, O., Koibichuk, V., Brożek, P. Global Digital Convergence: Impact of Cybersecurity, Business Transparency, Economic Transformation, and AML Efficiency. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2022, 8(4), 195.

…

”

Conclusion

In my opinion, the article after technical corrections can be accepted for publication.

Response:

Thanks much for your efforts in organizing the review team for our manuscript. Your and the review team’s comments have improved our manuscript significantly.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

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Measurement and Spatial Correlation Analysis of the Development Level of the Digital Economy in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

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