“机器代人”与城镇新增长模式 ——以广东省佛山市顺德区为例

为分析“机器代人”影响下的劳动密集型城镇新增长动力，文章构建了“机器代人”背景下城镇新增长模式的分析框架，以珠三角城镇增长的代表性地区--佛山市顺德区为案例，重点从技术、产业、人口和空间4个方面进行了探讨。研究发现：“机器代人”的推广应用极大地促进了地区的技术升级，企业和政府共同推动着地区技术升级路径从“二次创新”走向“一次创新”。技术升级对产业升级和人口变化产生重要的影响，一方面促使了家电等传统产业转型升级，传统产业对自动化设备的需求又带动了机器人产业的发展；另一方面削减了普通劳动力需求，催生新的就业机会，促使地区就业结构变化。产业升级和人口变化共同促进空间组织产生变化，创新要素在空间上扩散与集聚，区域形成“大集聚、小分散”的格局，边界地区成为区域新的增长核心。在“机器代人”影响下顺德区形成了技术、产业、人口和空间相互影响与促进的城镇新增长模式。

“Replacing Human Labor with Robots” and the New Growth Model of Towns: A Case Study of Shunde District in Foshan City,Guangdong Province

Under the influence of “replacing human labor by machine”, new growth of labor-intensive towns appears. In order to analyze its driving force, this paper builds up an analytical framework based on technology, industry, demography and space. Taking Shunde district of Foshan city in PRD as a classical example, the paper investigates this argument and concludes three findings. First, the promotion and application of “replacing human labor with robots” has greatly promoted the technological upgrading of the region. Enterprise and the government jointly promoted the regional technical level from “secondary innovation” to “primary innovation.” Second, technology upgrades have an important impact on industrial upgrades and demographic changes. Technology upgrades have led to the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries such as household appliances. The demand for automation equipment in traditional industries has driven the development of the robot industry. At the same time, technological upgrading has reduced the demand for ordinary labor and created new employment opportunities, which brings changes to the employment structure. Third, industrial upgrading and demographic changes have jointly promoted changes in spatial organizations. Spatial diffusion and agglomeration of innovation elements have formed a pattern of “large agglomeration and small dispersion.” Fringe areas that were not valued in the past have become the new core of regional growth, thereby reshaping the regional spatial structure. In the context of “replacing human labor with robots,” Shunde district has formed a new urban growth model that affects and promotes the interaction of technology, industry, population, and space.