Big Data Pilot Zones and Supply Chain Resilience—Quasi-Experimental Evidence From China

The establishment of big data pilot zones (BDPZs) has generated substantial scholarly and practical focus, yet there remains limited understanding of their effects on supply chain resilience (SCR) at the microenterprise level. This study utilizes China's BDPZ as a quasi-experimental framework and analyzes firm-level panel data from the second quarter of 2009 to the fourth quarter of 2023 to evaluate the effects of BDPZ on supply chain resilience (SCR) as well as the underlying mechanisms involved. BDPZ's effects are analyzed using a staggered difference-in-differences approach, and SCR at the firm level is assessed using the entropy weight method. The findings indicate that China's BDPZ significantly enhance firms' SCR. In addition, mechanism testing reveals that this enhancement is primarily achieved through improved product competitiveness, alleviated financing constraints, and accelerated digital transformation. Furthermore, a heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the impact of BDPZ on SCR varies according to factors such as firms' growth stages, industry competitiveness, and transportation convenience. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are provided based on the findings.