How New Quality Productive Forces Empower Rural Revitalization in Ethnic Minority Regions: A Dynamic QCA Analysis

New quality productive forces can enhance the quality and efficiency of rural revitalization in ethnic regions; however, the mechanisms through which these forces exert their influence and the interactions among their elements remain unclear. Using panel data from 2013 to 2022 covering eight ethnic provinces and autonomous regions in China, this study employs dynamic Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to empirically examine the configurational paths through which new quality productive forces empower rural revitalization. Overall, no single element of new quality productive forces constitutes a necessary condition for effective rural revitalization. Nevertheless, the importance of intangible labor resources and the development of new industries has been increasing year by year. Four configurational pathways are identified: Configuration 1, the “Technology-Ecology Synergy Model”; Configuration 2, the “Technology-Industry Driven Model”; Configuration 3, the “Multi-Element Synergy Model”; and Configuration 4, the “Endogenous Subject-Driven Model,” all of which can effectively empower rural revitalization in ethnic regions. Temporally, Configurations 1–3 exhibit no significant effects, whereas Configuration 4 shows a more pronounced temporal effect, suggesting that the endogenous development model remains unstable. Spatially, Configuration 1 exerts greater effectiveness in the southwest, while the northwest relies more on Configurations 2 and 4; the effect of Configuration 3 shows no notable regional variation.