Xiao FJEN-JIA LIN2021-07-172021-07-17202125901982https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85104074729&doi=10.1016%2fj.trip.2021.100358&partnerID=40&md5=c78527384551489de0d7e86a8972031fhttps://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/571762Launching high-speed rail (HSR) services leads to time–space compression and contributes in the reconstruction of economic activities. This research explored the relationship between HSR and high-tech industry evolution. By using relatedness and HSR accessibility indicators, this study collected a panel data set of 286 cities and 31 provinces in China and covered the period 2008–2016, estimated two-way fixed effect models at the city and province scales, and clarified the role of HSR in the high-tech industry evolution. Empirical results were as follows. (1) The development of high-tech industries in China was a path-breaking process. (2) HSR changed the high-tech industry evolution from path-breaking to path-dependence. (3) The impact of HSR on the high-tech industry evolution was more significant at the city scale than the province scale. Current findings broaden our understanding of the associations of transport infrastructures with high-tech industry evolution in an emerging large-scale economy. ? 2021 The Author(s)[SDGs]SDG9journal article10.1016/j.trip.2021.1003582-s2.0-85104074729