Abstract: The coordinated development of regional digital innovation is an important driving force for achieving modernization of China’s national governance capacity and governance system. The existing literature mainly focuses on the spatial correlation and heterogeneity of digital technology innovation output between regions, without identifying and testing whether there is spatial strategy interaction behavior and its mechanism of action. This article introduces the hypothesis of technological innovation diffusion and innovation competition avoidance effect into the analysis of spatial characteristics of urban digital technology innovation output, and analyzes the spatial strategy interaction behavior of urban digital technology innovation output by constructing a spatial econometric model. The research results indicate that, firstly, the increase in the number of local digital technology innovation outputs will drive the increase in the number of digital technology innovation outputs in spatially related regions. Moreover, under the spatial weight matrix of digital economic development level, the spatial spillover effect of digital technology innovation outputs is higher than that under the spatial weight matrix of technological progress. From the perspective of strategic interaction, the output of digital technology innovation between cities shows a clear upward competitive effect. Secondly, mechanism testing indicates that the spatial interaction effect of digital technology innovation output between cities is driven by provincial competition avoidance mechanisms. The internal learning demonstration effect of cities weakens the spatial strategy interaction effect of digital technology innovation output between cities, while the external learning demonstration mechanism strengthens the spatial strategy interaction effect of digital technology innovation output between cities. Thirdly, heterogeneity testing indicates that digital technology innovation output exhibits significant technological progress and heterogeneity in the level of digital economic development; There is a significant spatial strategy interaction effect between cities with high (low) digital technology innovation output. The research conclusion has important practical significance for correctly understanding the spatial strategy interaction behavior of digital technology innovation output between cities and establishing a sound collaborative promotion mechanism for digital technology progress between regions.

Key words: urban digital innovation output, spatial strategy interaction, technological innovation diffusion, competition avoidance effect, mechanism of action