Abstract: Digital reform is profoundly changing the traditional relations of production and plays a key role in high-quality economic development. Different from the traditional technology governance mode and path, digital reform is to construct a governance form supported by emerging technologies. Taking the national-level comprehensive big data pilot area as a quasi-natural experiment, the study reveals the heterogeneous characteristics of digital reforms empowering high-quality economic development by adopting a double-difference model. It is found that digital reform has a positive facilitating effect on economic high-quality development through three paths:strengthening technological innovation capability, optimizing technological resource allocation, and enhancing the efficiency of technological use. In terms of differences in regional geographic location, business environment and human capital, the effect of high-quality economic development brought by digital reform is more obvious in the eastern region, regions with relatively poor business environment and regions with high levels of human capital. In addition, the promotion effect of digital reform on high-quality economic development is particularly prominent in regions with good institutional environments.

Key words: digital reform, big data comprehensive pilot zone, high-quality economic development, double difference