The policy effects of innovative city pilot on the dual efficiency of industry–university–research knowledge flow

Abstract

The implementation of the innovative city pilot policy (ICPP) is conducive to promoting the urban industry–university–research collaborative innovation, but there is no clear answer to how industry–university–research knowledge flow is affected by the policy. Based on the knowledge flow process divided into the knowledge creation stage and knowledge transfer stage, this paper uses the two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to measure the dual efficiency of urban industry–university–research knowledge creation and knowledge transfer. And the paper also adopts the spatial difference-in-difference (SDID) model to study the impact mechanism of ICPP on the knowledge flow dual efficiency. The results show that there are positive spatial spillover effect of the knowledge creation efficiency (KCE) and knowledge transfer efficiency (KTE). And the effects of ICPP on industry–university–research KCE and KTE are both manifested as the promoting impact. Furthermore, ICPP has a significantly positive impact on the urban innovation atmosphere (UIA), and UIA plays a partial mediating role in the impact mechanism of ICPP on KCE and complete mediating role in the relationship of ICPP and KTE.

KEYWORDS:

• Innovative city construction
• industry–university–research cooperation
• knowledge flow efficiency
• spatial economic analysis

Acknowledgement

This paper received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China ‘Research on the Impact of University–Industry Cooperation on Research Performance of Chinese Universities’ (Project Number: 71874042) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No.HIT.HSS.202102).

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China: [Grant Number 71874042].

Notes on contributors

Shaopeng Zhang

Shaopeng Zhang: 1994-, male, Xingtai, Hebei, PhD candidate of Harbin Institute of Technology, School of Economics and Management, research field: industry–university–research cooperation, knowledge management. E-mail: [email protected]; Contact: 13251610878. Address: No. 92 Xidazhi Street, Nangang District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, Post Code: 150001.

Xiaohong Wang

Xiaohong Wang: 1968-, female, Harbin, Heilongjiang, Ph.D., professor of Harbin Institute of Technology, School of Economics and Management, doctoral supervisor, research field: performance evaluation, knowledge management. E-mail: [email protected]; Contact: 13904619991. Address: No. 92 Xidazhi Street, Nangang District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, Post Code: 150001. (Corresponding Author)

Ben Zhang

Ben Zhang: 1984-, male, Harbin, Heilongjiang, PhD, lecturer, School of Economics and Management, Harbin University of Science and Technology, research field: university–industry cooperation, knowledge management. E-mail: [email protected].