Abstract:      The innovation ecosystem is an important support for accelerating the formation of a high-quality regional economic pattern, and the accelerated release of digital productivity has brought huge dividends to regional innovation. Based on the provincial panel data from 2013 to 2019, using the multiple mediation model, moderation model, threshold regression model, and spatial model, combined with the niche theory and synergy theory, this study explored the relationship between digital technology and regional innovation performance from the perspective of innovation ecosystem. The following conclusions are drawn from this study: (1) from the perspective of the innovation ecosystem, digital technology can significantly improve regional innovation performance, and has the greatest impact on the performance of the technology subsystem, followed by commercial and scientific subsystems; (2) in the path of digital technology affecting regional innovation performance, the niche suitability of each subsystem and the collaboration between subsystems not only have a parallel mediating effect, but also a chain mediating effect; (3) the niche breadth of technology and business subsystems can positively moderate the relationship between digital technology and regional innovation performance; and (4) the development of digital technology has strengthened the pattern of innovation polarization. Based on this, each region needs to attach importance to the linkage innovation between subsystems, and it is also necessary to establish a long-term innovation cooperation mechanism among regions in the digital context to enhance overall innovation from point to face. This paper has not only expanded the theoretical perspective of research on digital technology driven regional innovation, but also provided reference and inspiration for various regions to shape multidimensional ecological advantages through digital technology.

Key words: digital technology, regional innovation ecosystem, ecological niche, multiple mediation model