A co-innovation network in Northeast China oriented to high-quality development

ABSTRACT

Innovation is the primary driving force and important support for Northeast China’s revitalisation strategy to move toward ‘high-quality development’. Based on 1985–2016 data, this study aimed to explore structural characteristics and organisational patterns of a co-innovation network from a high-quality development perspective based on social network analysis. Previous literature on the co-innovation network only emphasise network scale expansion and network density increases, ignoring the optimisation of network structure. The evolutionary analysis showed that the co-innovation network in Northeast China presents high growth, openness, hierarchy, assortativity, accessibility and clustering. Regarding organisational patterns, the network’s top-level structure was reconstructed, developing from ‘dual-core drive’ to ‘multi-core resonance’, forming a ‘multi core and semi core and peripheral city’ structure. To improve the high-quality network development, it is necessary to strengthen the radiation-driving ability of core cities, clarify the function orientation of non-core cities, eliminate administrative barriers and guide the professional and differentiated development of non-core cities.

KEYWORDS:

• High-quality development
• co-innovation network
• organisation patterns
• Northeast China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 41976206].

Notes on contributors

Yingying Yuan

Yingying Yuan is a Ph.D. student at the School of Geography and Institute of Marine Sustainable Development, Liaoning Normal University. her research interests include regional innovation and city network. She has published her research in Economic Geography, PLOS ONE.

Zenglin Han

Zenglin Han is a professor at the School of Geography and Institute of Marine Sustainable Development, Liaoning Normal University. He obtained his Ph.D. at the School of Geography Sciences, Northeast Normal University in 2003. His research interests include economic geography fields.

Wenyi Yang

Wenyi Yang, a lecturer at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. Dr Yang’s research focuses on urban economics and spatial structure. She has published her research in Cities, Sustainability, etc.