异地投资提升了区域创新能力吗——基于知识技术多样化的新视角

Does Remote Investment Enhance Regional Innovation Capability: A New Perspective Based on Knowledge and Technology Diversity

摘要:

加快建设全国统一大市场,营造利于创新的超大规模市场技术环境,对实施创新驱动发展战略至关重要。作为创新要素载体与知识交换枢纽,区域获取异质性知识的能力深刻影响创新潜力。本文基于2003—2021年中国异地子公司数据与专利信息,实证检验异地投资对区域创新的影响。研究发现,异地投资显著提升区域创新能力,且在财政纵向失衡程度低、知识产权保护水平高、区域可达性强的地区,该促进作用更为突出。机制分析表明,异地投资主要通过增强区域技术多样性和异地合作创新水平的方式提升区域创新能力。进一步区分技术多样性后发现,异地投资主要增强的是区域相关技术多样性,进而推动渐进式创新;而非通过增强不相关技术多样性来促进高风险高收益的颠覆式创新。因此,精准识别异地投资对创新的差异化推动作用极为关键。为充分释放其创新潜能,应加速建设全国统一大市场,着力完善统一的市场基础制度规则,并健全激励技术创新的保障体系,以支撑区域实现更高质量的发展。

Abstract:

Accelerating the development of a nationally unified market is essential, creating a technology environment conducive to innovation within this mega-scale market is crucial for implementing the innovation-driven development strategy. As carriers of innovation factors and hubs for knowledge exchange, the ability of regions to acquire heterogeneous knowledge profoundly influences innovation potential. Data on non-local subsidiaries in China from 2003 to 2021 and patent information were utilized to empirically examine the impact of non-local investment on regional innovation. A significant enhancement of regional innovation capability by non-local investment is found. This effect is more pronounced in regions with lower degrees of vertical fiscal imbalance, higher levels of intellectual property protection, and stronger regional accessibility. Mechanism analysis reveals that regional innovation capability is primarily enhanced through two approaches enabled by non-local investment: increased regional technological diversity and elevated levels of non-local collaborative innovation. Upon distinguishing technological diversity, it is discovered that related technology diversity is mainly enhanced by non-local investment, thereby driving incremental innovation. Enhancement of unrelated technology diversity, which potentially facilitates higher-risk, higher-reward disruptive innovation, is not the primary channel utilized. Therefore, precise identification of the differential innovation-promoting effects of non-local investment is critical. To fully unleash its innovation potential, accelerated development of a nationally unified market is required. Unified fundamental market institutions and rules need improvement. Incentive systems for technological innovation must be strengthened. These actions are essential to support higher-quality regional development.