Challenges and Pathways for Digital Empowerment of Rural Industrial Revitalization in Guangxi: From the Perspective of Endogenous–Exogenous Synergy

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has created new opportunities and provided fresh momentum for rural industrial revitalization. From the perspective of endogenous–exogenous synergistic development, this study develops an analytical framework and employs a comparative analysis to systematically examine the challenges facing digital empowerment of rural industrial revitalization in Guangxi. The findings reveal several persistent constraints, including weak endogenous foundations coupled with barriers to exogenous integration, limited endogenous transformation capacity alongside insufficient external support, severe internal data barriers and fragmented external collaboration, inadequate endogenous brand development and weak market linkages, as well as a shortage of local talent and limited willingness among external professionals to relocate. Fundamentally, these challenges arise because weak endogenous capacities constrain the effective introduction, absorption, and transformation of external resources, preventing them from fully unlocking local development potential. Consequently, neither externally driven resource support nor isolated endogenous capacity building can generate the endogenous–exogenous synergy required for effective digital empowerment. To address these challenges, Guangxi should foster a digital development ecosystem characterized by efficient interaction and complementary strengths between endogenous and exogenous resources. This requires pursuing an integrated and synergistic development path by strengthening channels for resource interaction, promoting coordinated internal–external development, facilitating the open sharing of production factors, enhancing support for key development areas, and cultivating both local and external talent through coordinated efforts.