Innovation network structure, government R&D investment and regional innovation efficiency: Evidence from China

PLoS One. 2023 May 22;18(5):e0286096. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286096. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2019, this paper uses a two-stage DEA model to measure regional innovation efficiency, then non-parametric test is used to examine the impact of innovation network structure and government R&D investment on regional innovation efficiency. The results show that, at the provincial level, innovation efficiency of regional R&D is not necessarily in direct proportion to the innovation efficiency in the commercialization stage. Commercialization efficiency is not necessarily high in provinces with high technical R&D efficiency. At the national level, the innovation efficiency gap between our country's R&D and commercialization stage is small, indicating that the development of the national innovation efficiency is more and more balanced. Innovation network structure can promote the R&D efficiency, but has no significant effect on the commercialization efficiency. Government R&D investment helps to improve the R&D efficiency, but it is not conducive to the improvement of commercialization efficiency. The interaction between innovation network structure and government R&D investment will have compound effects on regional innovation efficiency; the region with underdeveloped innovation network structure can increase the government R&D investment to make it have a higher level of R&D. This paper provides insights into how to improve innovation efficiency in different social networks and policy environments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Economic Development
  • Efficiency*
  • Government*
  • Investments

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Key Plan of National Social Science Foundation of China under the Grant 16BJY039. The funders had role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.