As an innovative theory formed in the process of China's modernization, the organic combination of new quality productive forces and digital transformation is a major theoretical challenge at the current historical stage. The relationship between digital transformation and new quality productive forces was empirically examined through a study of China's A-share listed manufacturing companies from 2013 to 2023. Results indicate that digital transformation contributes significantly to the new quality productive forces. Further research found that digital transformation contributes to new quality productive forces by improving firms' technological innovation capabilities, and that executives' digital background plays a positive moderating role between digital transformation and new quality productive forces. Heterogeneity analysis showed that the marginal effect of digital transformation to improve the new quality productive forces of enterprises is more significant in state-owned enterprises and enterprises in the central and eastern regions. The findings provide a theoretical foundation for enterprises' digital transformation in generating new quality productive forces and offer valuable references and inspirations for exploring specific implementation paths.