Abstract: Artificial intelligence is a pivotal force in cultivating new quality productive forces in China. Examining how the synergy between digitalization and green transformation drives the development of future industries is important for overcoming current bottlenecks. Using panel data for 283 Chinese cities from 2009 to 2023, this study employs fixed-effects, mediation, and spatial Durbin models to empirically assess the effect of the synergy between digital and green transformation on future industrial development. The results show that digital transformation significantly promotes future industrial development, whereas green transformation yields notable effects only in the long term. The synergy between digital and green transformation offsets green transformation’s short-term limitations, enabling them to jointly foster future industrial development in the short- and long-term. Mechanism tests indicate that this dual synergy advances future industrial development through three channels: attracting green finance, strengthening green innovation capabilities, and optimizing industrial structure. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the synergistic effects are stronger in larger cities, in cities with more advanced digital economies, and in cities with higher environmental awareness. Moreover, the synergy exhibits significant spatial spillover effects, thereby fostering coordinated industrial layouts across cities. This study deepens our understanding of the drivers, mechanisms, and spatial heterogeneity through which the dual synergy of digitalization and green transformation promotes future industrial development.