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Abstract: The flow of data elements, driven by data resources, plays a crucial role in facilitating urban-rural factor mobility and optimizing resource allocation, thereby exerting a profound impact on urban-rural industrial integration efficiency. Based on provincial panel data from China spanning 1998 to 2023, this study systematically examines the impact of data element flow on urban-rural industrial integration efficiency and explores the transmission mechanism of traditional factor mobility and allocation. The findings reveal that: (1) There exists a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between data element flow and urban-rural industrial integration efficiency. While data element flow initially enhances integration efficiency, its marginal benefits diminish after exceeding a critical threshold, eventually leading to a negative impact; (2) The mobility and allocation of traditional urban-rural factors serve as key transmission mechanisms. Unidirectional flows reinforce the suppressive effect of data element flow, whereas bidirectional mobility and optimized allocation significantly enhance industrial integration efficiency; (3) Digital technology innovation and factor marketization play a moderating role in the inverted U-shaped impact, as improvements in both factors effectively mitigate the negative effects of excessive data element flow while strengthening its positive influence. The findings provide essential theoretical support and practical insights for optimizing digital economy policies, promoting efficient factor mobility, and advancing urban-rural industrial integration strategies, along with relevant policy recommendations.

Keywords: Data Element Flow; Urban-Rural Industrial Coordination; Inverted U-Shaped Relationship; Factor Allocation; Nonlinear Effects; Digital Transformation