BEIJING, Oct. 22 -- A growing number of sectors are using digital technologies to upgrade their operations in China, a report on the flow of digitalization-related professionals showed.

In addition to information and communication technology (ICT) sectors, digital talent has started to congregate in areas such as consumer goods, finance, education and corporate services, according to a report released Monday by the Tsinghua SEM Center for Internet Development and Governance (CIDG) and LinkedIn China.

The report is based upon information drawn from about 910,000 qualified respondents of LinkedIn's 48 million members in China.

From 2016 to 2018, the proportion of digital talent in software and IT services, finance, education and other service industries increased year on year.

The medical and transportation sectors have shown significant year-on-year improvements in terms of the appeal to digital professionals, with the medical sector performing especially well in 2018, the report showed.

Software and IT services and manufacturing have emerged as the two industries with the largest shares of digital talent, with more than 20 percent each.

"The continued growth of the digital economy remains primarily dependent upon the digital transformation of traditional industries, and this part of the integrated digital economy has also become the driving force behind China's economic growth," said CIDG director Chen Yubo.

It is necessary to further deepen the integration of ICT with other industries and to create more cutting-edge technologies driven by artificial intelligence, big data and other new applications, according to Lu Jian, president of LinkedIn China.