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HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article

Front. Appl. Math. Stat.

Sec. Mathematical Finance

Volume 11 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fams.2025.1622624

Institutional Adaptation of Triple Helix: Digital Transformation in China's Logistics Sector – Theory and Validation

Provisionally accepted
  • Beijing Institute of Economics and Management, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Under the backdrop of the digital economy, China's logistics industry confronts multidimensional challenges encompassing efficiency optimization, business model innovation, and institutional adaptation. This study transcends the conventional 'technology-market' dichotomy by constructing a quadripartite synergy framework (Technology-Organization-Ecosystem-Institution, TOEI) through multi-case analysis and quantitative examination of 10 leading logistics enterprises. Key findings reveal China-specific pathways for digital transformation: (1) Technological empowerment demonstrates a three-phase evolution. During the hardware penetration phase (2015-2018), intelligent equipment deployment elevated sorting efficiency by 300%. The process reengineering phase (2019-2022) leveraged data middleware to reduce decision-making cycles by 57%, while the ecosystem collaboration phase (2023-present) achieved cross-border delivery within 72 hours through platform-enabled data multiplier effects. (2) Organizational restructuring amplifies technological dividends, where a 10% increase in process automation boosts technology ROI by 2.3-fold, and enterprises with over 30% digital talent demonstrate 2.8-fold performance enhancement. (3) Ecosystem synergy creates value networks, exemplified by Full Truck Alliance's algorithm-driven 15% reduction in empty-load rates and Cainiao Network's breakthrough in 72-hour cross-border logistics efficiency. (4) Institutional adaptation operates through incentive-constraint mechanisms, as evidenced by policy combinations like 'New Infrastructure' initiatives and Data Security Law implementation that enhanced technology efficiency by 25%, with each incremental data-sharing instance generating 12% marginal benefit growth. Theoretically, this research innovatively positions institutional adaptation as a fourth dimension, unveiling China's unique 'policy experimentation zones-regional demonstration-national scaling' trajectory through dynamic feedback between regulatory standardization and scenario-based innovation. Practically, it provides systemic solutions for latecomer economies to overcome technological fragmentation and data silos. These findings address theoretical gaps in institutional dynamics while offering a Chinese paradigm for industrial digital transformation amid global supply chain restructuring.

Keywords: digital transformation, Technology Empowerment, organizational restructuring, ecosystem synergy, Institutional adaptation, quadripartite synergy model, China context

Received: 07 May 2025; Accepted: 09 Oct 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Jing. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Li Jing, 16736008@qq.com

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