丝绸2025，Vol.62Issue(7)：1-11,11.DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1001-7003.2025.07.001
工业机器人应用对中国纺织服装产业出口技术复杂度的影响
Impact of industrial robot applications on the export technological sophistication of China's textile and apparel industry
摘要
Abstract
Amidst profound shifts in the global economic landscape,China's textile and apparel industry is confronted with multifaceted challenges.On the one hand,developed countries are accelerating the repatriation of industries,while developing nations are actively taking over industrial transfers,intensifying international competition.On the other hand,the continuous rise in domestic production factor costs has rendered traditional development models unsustainable.Against this backdrop,China's textile and apparel industry urgently needs to upgrade and transform to adapt to the demands of the new era.Industrial robots,as a key driver of technological progress and innovation,have become an essential force in promoting high-quality industrial development in China.The widespread application of industrial robots in the textile and apparel industry has significantly enhanced production efficiency,flexibility,and continuity,laying a solid foundation for the industry's transformation and upgrading.The application of industrial robots not only affects the industry's technological level but also profoundly impacts the overall modernization of the industry through the accumulation of human capital and the optimization of production links.Therefore,an in-depth study of the impact of industrial robots on the textile and apparel industry,as well as the role of human capital and the application effects of industrial robots in different production links,is of great significance for advancing the modernization of the textile and apparel industry.This paper aims to reveal the specific impact of industrial robots on the textile and apparel industry through empirical analysis and provide theoretical basis and practical reference for the formulation of relevant industry policies. This study leverages industrial robot data from International Federation of Robotics(IFR)and employment data from China's Industrial Manufacturing Classification System for the textile,apparel,and chemical fiber manufacturing industries to construct a comprehensive provincial panel dataset spanning 2009 to 2020.A fixed-effects model is employed to empirically analyze the impact of industrial robot applications on the export technological sophistication of China's textile and apparel industry,with a particular focus on the mediating role of human capital.To ensure the robustness of the findings,a series of tests are conducted,including the substitution of explanatory variables,adjustments to the sample interval,winsorization,and the use of instrumental variable methods.Additionally,heterogeneity tests are performed across four dimensions:natural geographic regions,spatial heterogeneity,levels of export technological sophistication,and production stages. Three significant contributions are made to the existing literature in this paper.Firstly,it enriches research on the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries by examining the role of industrial robots in the textile and apparel sector,offering a fresh perspective on how emerging technologies influence the international competitiveness of traditional manufacturing.Secondly,it investigates the mediating role of human capital in the relationship between industrial robot applications and export technological sophistication,revealing the dynamic interplay between technological advancement and human capital accumulation.Thirdly,it explores the spatial and production-stage heterogeneity of industrial robot impacts,providing empirical evidence on how industrial robots optimize resource allocation and adjust factor flows in the context of the AI revolution.Findings reveal that human capital serves as a critical mediating channel through which industrial robot applications enhance export technological sophistication.Spatially,the positive effects of industrial robots are significant only in the eastern region,declining-type regions,and provinces with stable development.Technologically,industrial robots significantly improve export technological sophistication in regions with high technological complexity.In terms of production stages,the impact of industrial robots is significant only in downstream production segments.These results underscore the importance of considering regional and production-stage differences when implementing industrial robot technologies in the textile and apparel industry. This study provides valuable theoretical and practical insights into the application of industrial robots in China's textile and apparel industry and their impact on export technological sophistication.By elucidating the dynamic relationship between industrial robot applications and human capital accumulation,it offers new perspectives on coordinating technological progress with labor development,thereby supporting the intelligent transformation and high-quality development of the textile and apparel industry.Furthermore,the analysis of spatial and production-stage heterogeneity provides empirical support for differentiated development strategies tailored to specific regions and production stages.Future research could further explore the long-term effects of industrial robot applications on employment structures,environmental sustainability,and global competitiveness,so as to offer more comprehensive theoretical and policy support for the sustainable development of labor-intensive industries.关键词
工业机器人/出口技术复杂度/人力资本/纺织服装生产环节/纺织服装产业/异质性Key words
industrial robots/export technological sophistication/human capital/textile and apparel production stages/textile and apparel industry/heterogeneity分类
管理科学引用本文复制引用
赵君丽,尹梦纯,陆禧儿..工业机器人应用对中国纺织服装产业出口技术复杂度的影响[J].丝绸,2025,62(7):1-11,11.基金项目
国家社会科学基金项目(21BJY106) （21BJY106）
教育部人文社会科学规划项目(20YJAGJW007) （20YJAGJW007）
东华大学"一带一路"智库研究专项项目(2232019B-08) （2232019B-08）
中央高校基本科研业务费专项资金资助项目(2232018H-09) （2232018H-09）
