Digital Goods Trade and National Innovation: A dual-mediation Perspective

This study investigates how digital goods trade affects national innovation capacity through dual mediating channels. Using panel data from 69 countries over 2011-2020, we construct a multiple mediation model to test the parallel mediating roles of domestic research and development (DRD) and international technology cooperation (ITC). Results show that digital goods imports significantly enhance innovation through both DRD and ITC, with the ITC channel exhibiting a substantially larger mediation effect. However, digital goods exports show no significant mediating effects through either channel. Heterogeneity analysis across five digital goods categories reveals that the positive effects of imports are concentrated in communication equipment and electronic components, while exports of computer peripherals exhibit a significant direct effect. These findings extend the trade-innovation nexus to the digital goods context, reveal asymmetric mediating mechanisms between imports and exports. Keywords: Digital goods trade; National innovation capacity; Domestic research and development; International technology cooperation; Multiple mediation effect model.