Abstract
As carbon reduction imperatives reshape transport governance, understanding how smart transportation capabilities jointly generate resilience under institutional constraints has become increasingly critical. Prior research typically examines single capabilities in isolation, overlooking the configurational nature of resilience formation. Drawing on institutional theory and resource orchestration theory, this study investigates how distinct combinations of transport infrastructure and informatization capabilities contribute to regional transport resilience, measured as efficiency loss using a directional distance function across 30 Chinese provinces (2014–2020). A dynamic QCA approach identifies multiple capability configurations that can compensate for institutional pressures, with service capacity and communication technologies emerging as recurrent core drivers. Complementary hierarchical regression and random forest analyses reveal heterogeneous effects and capability importance patterns. By theorizing resilience as a multi-capability, institutionally embedded configuration rather than a linear outcome, this study advances resilience theory and offers insight for designing adaptive and resource-efficient smart transportation systems.