Technological innovation breakthroughs in the real economy are important driver of high-quality economic development and the accelerated formation of new quality productive forces. Using panel data for 294 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2023, this study examines the impact of digital innovation network embeddedness on the technological innovation boundary of the urban real economy. The findings show that digital innovation network embeddedness significantly expands this boundary. Mechanism analysis indicates that digital innovation networks optimize knowledge production, knowledge application, and knowledge value realization in real-economy technological innovation by enhancing digital technological innovation capability, promoting the integration of the digital and real economies, and stimulating entrepreneurial vitality, thereby expanding the technological innovation boundary. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that local governments’ attention to digital technology strengthens this effect, whereas the level of urban digital economy development and the strength of intellectual property protection weaken it to some extent. In addition, the effect is more pronounced in cities with higher resource endowments. These findings provide empirical evidence and policy implications for deepening the integration of the digital and real economies, promoting high-quality development of the real economy, and advancing regional innovation-driven development.