Abstract:This paper focuses on the impact of high-tech industry development on the upgrading of regional industrial structure. Firstly, the variation coefficient method is used to measure the development level of high-tech industries in 26 provinces in China from 2005 to 2016. Then, by constructing the VEC model, the internal relationship between the development of high-tech industry and the upgrading of the regional industrial structure is analyzed and judged. Finally, on this basis, an inter-provincial panel data analysis model is established to empirically analyze the impact of high-tech industry development on the upgrading of industrial structure from the national and the eastern, central and western regions. The research shows that: (1) The development of high-tech industries across the country and the eastern and central regions has a significant role in promoting the upgrading of the industrial structure, while the western region shows a significant inhibitory effect; (2) The effect of human capital on the upgrade of the industrial structure in the western region is significant, while foreign direct investment and urbanization show its inhibitory effect; (3) Technological progress has a significant inhibitory effect on the upgrading of the industrial structure in the central region, showing no significant role in the promotion of the eastern region. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly improve the policy system for the development of high-tech industries, strengthen the leading position of high-tech industries in regional economic development, improve the incentive mechanism and market-based mechanism for the development of high-tech industries and implement policies to promote the coordinated development of high-tech industries according to local conditions to realize the upgrading of industrial structure.