Abstract: The mechanism of interaction between internal and external R&D promoting performance growth of the digital industry and its heterogeneity are demonstrated from the paths of alienation and magnetic attraction, and the differentiation effect of performance growth caused by internal and external R&D investment is empirically verified through taking the software and information technology industry as the observation industry. The research showed internal and external R&D had positive effects on the performance growth of the digital industry, and the two both accelerated the differentiation of performance growth of the regional digital industry. Further exploration found performance growth of China’s digital industry was hampered by “inefficient” R&D innovation. Meanwhile, the internal and external R&D of digital industry had obvious characteristics of magnetic attraction, and R&D interaction was the main way to promote the performance growth of China’s digital industry. To realize the innovative growth of the performance of the digital industry, the key point of the policy was to enhance the “interaction” between internal and external R&D, so as to optimize R&D plan of digital enterprises and improve the overall innovation efficiency.

Key words:  performance, digital industry, differentiation, interaction between internal and external R&D