Abstract: In the context of digital and intelligent transformation, exploring the impact of industrial robot applications on the green transformation and upgrading of corporate production methods is of great significance. This paper constructs an econometric model to examine the influence of industrial robot usage on enterprise green total factor productivity and employs panel data for empirical analysis. The empirical results indicate that the use of industrial robots significantly promotes enterprise GTFP, with this effect being more pronounced in technology-intensive enterprises, regions with higher marketization levels, eastern regions, and larger enterprises. Mechanism tests suggest that the influence of industrial robot usage on green total factor productivity operates through two main pathways: optimizing the structure of factor allocation within enterprises and enhancing their green innovation capabilities. This research aims to open up the "black box" of how industrial robot usage affects firms' green total factor productivity, contributing to a better understanding of how industrial robots as a form of green productivity can drive the green and low-carbon transformation of enterprises. It provides theoretical insights for governments focused on improving total factor productivity while guiding enterprises toward the adoption of sustainable green production practices.

Key words: Industrial robots, Green total factor Productivity, Green innovation, Factor structure