Data as a New Factor of Production

Reshaping Growth, Innovation, and Labor in the Digital Economy
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-981-959984-4
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 232 Seiten, Format (B × H): 160 mm x 241 mm, Gewicht: 584 g

Reihe: Applied Economics and Policy Studies

This book offers a groundbreaking exploration of how data, empowered by artificial intelligence, is reshaping traditional economic paradigms. Through a richly interdisciplinary lens, it analyzes the disruptive potential of data as a core production factor—alongside labor, capital, and land—highlighting its non-rivalrous nature, exponential returns to scale, and transformative impact on productivity, employment, and institutional design.

Bridging theoretical modeling and real-world case studies, the volume reveals how data-driven innovation transcends sectoral boundaries, from manufacturing to public governance. It examines how leading economies strategically deploy AI and data to redefine global competitiveness, while also addressing critical issues such as data monopolies, regional inequality, and algorithmic ethics.

Intended for scholars, policymakers, and industry practitioners in digital economics, public policy, and technology governance, this book delivers cutting-edge insights with accessible depth. It balances global comparisons with in-depth analysis of China’s digital infrastructure, AI regulation, and data market reform—offering a timely contribution to the global conversation on digital transformation.

Key Features:

Introduces a novel conceptual framework positioning data as a primary production factor.

Combines theoretical rigor with empirical detail and forward-looking policy recommendations.

Zielgruppe

Professional/practitioner

Autoren/Hrsg.

Li, Xiaolong

Liao, Lewei

Sun, Pengfei

Wu, Zhengyu

Fachgebiete

• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftssektoren & Branchen Medien-, Informations und Kommunikationswirtschaft Informationstechnik, IT-Industrie
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Volkswirtschaftslehre Volkswirtschaftslehre Allgemein

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1. Introduction: The Reality and Theoretical Challenges of Data as a New Production Factor.- Chapter 2. How Data Reshapes Technological Progress: Structural Effects on Total Factor Productivity.- Chapter 3. How Data Affects Resident Employment: Labor Market Differentiation and Skill Reallocation in the Age of AI.- Chapter 4. Data Analytics and Capital Allocation: From Corporate Risk Perception to Policy Response.- Chapter 5. Data Analytics and Corporate Value: Evidence from Big Data Capabilities in Capital Markets.- Chapter 6. Data-Driven Entrepreneurship: Structural Capital Flows and Industrial Opportunity Generation.- Chapter 7. From Factors to Institutions: Embedding Data into Corporate and Policy Systems.

Über Autor(innen)

Dr. Xiaolong Li, an Associate Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and Deputy Director of the Center for Market Economy Studies at Peking University. His research focuses on the digital economy and fintech, with over 40 papers published in leading journals, including two ESI Highly Cited Papers. His policy work has been adopted by key central government ministries.

Dr. Lewei Liao, a Ph.D. Candidate at Guanghua School of Management in Beijing Daxing, specializing in the digital economy and industrial transformation. His empirical research on digital technology adoption has been published in international journals including macroeconomic dynamics and economic analysis and policy.

Dr. Pengfei Sun, a lecturer at the People's Public Security University of China, holding a Ph.D. in Engineering, with a research focus on the digital economy. His research findings have been published in academic journals including Research in International Business & Finance and Applied Economics.

M.Sc. Zhengyu Wu, a Master's student at the University of Hong Kong, specializing in the digital economy, with a research focuses on the impact of digital transformation on financial institutions. She has published her work in The Impact of Digital Transformation on the Operating Performance of Commercial Banks.