Abstract:

Employing niche theory as the analytical framework， this study focuses on the niche reconstruction of Chinese university presses in the context of digital transformation. First， it analyzes the four characteristics of university presses ： dual-track resource acquisition， dualfunction orientation， deep embeddedness of relational networks， and performance evaluation that needs to respond to the demands of multiple stakeholders. These characteristics constitute the internal constraint for their transformation. Second， it sorts out the external competitive landscape. Among them， commercial digital content platforms achieve niche monopolization through resource aggregation; educational technology enterprises promote niche fusion by means of scenario embedding; and traditional commercial presses carry out niche innovation relying on market agility， thereby exerting external pressure on university presses. Finally， it proposes three reconstruction strategies， namely defensive， offensive， and symbiotic strategies. The defensive strategy safeguards the core niche in academic publishing through technological protection and institutional advantages; the offensive strategy expands the value space based on cutting-edge technological breakthroughs; and the symbiotic strategy broadens niche boundaries by virtue of cross-subject collaboration. It indicates that successful niche reconstruction must match the technological and institutional endowments of presses， while the focus of future competition will lie in the control of standards. This not only clarifies the digital transformation path for university presses， but also provides Chinese solutions for the publishing industry to achieve a balance between technological innovation and compliance.