THE INFLUENCE MECHANISM OF “NEIGHBORING REGIONS” ON LOCAL EXPORT UPGRADING UNDER REGIONAL INTEGRATION: EVIDENCE FROM THE NEW ENERGY VEHICLE INDUSTRY IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA

LI Shan, LI Si-yu, LI Xun, FENG Yu-yang, CHEN Ting-ting, QIN Xiao-zhen, CHEN Le

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (5) : 87-101.

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HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (5) : 87-101. DOI: 10.13959/j.issn.1003-2398.2026.05.009
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THE INFLUENCE MECHANISM OF “NEIGHBORING REGIONS” ON LOCAL EXPORT UPGRADING UNDER REGIONAL INTEGRATION: EVIDENCE FROM THE NEW ENERGY VEHICLE INDUSTRY IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA

  • LI Shan1, LI Si-yu1, LI Xun2,3, FENG Yu-yang1, CHEN Ting-ting2,3, QIN Xiao-zhen4, CHEN Le5
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Abstract

Moving beyond firm-level limitations and knowledge "buzz/pipelines," this paper integrates theories of technological complexity, proximity, and regional integration to construct an analytical framework examining how neighboring regions influence local export upgrading through four key "pipelines." Employing the Pearl River Delta (PRD) new energy vehicle (NEV) industry as a case study, this study builds a multiscale database using customs and patent data, confirming that the "good neighbor" effect from proximate areas significantly promotes export upgrading, providing valuable insights for regional policy formulation.

Key words

regional integration / technological complexity / pipeline spillover / export upgrading / Pearl River Delta (PRD)

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LI Shan, LI Si-yu, LI Xun, FENG Yu-yang, CHEN Ting-ting, QIN Xiao-zhen, CHEN Le. THE INFLUENCE MECHANISM OF “NEIGHBORING REGIONS” ON LOCAL EXPORT UPGRADING UNDER REGIONAL INTEGRATION: EVIDENCE FROM THE NEW ENERGY VEHICLE INDUSTRY IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA[J]. HUMAN GEOGRAPHY. 2026, 41(5): 87-101 https://doi.org/10.13959/j.issn.1003-2398.2026.05.009

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