IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/growch/v52y2021i3p1361-1386.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Triple helix relationship research on China's regional university–industry–government collaborative innovation: Based on provincial patent data

Author

Listed:
  • Tao Zhuang
  • Shuliang Zhao
  • Mingliang Zheng
  • Jianxun Chu

Abstract

Over the last 20 years, university–industry–government collaborative innovation has received extensive attention in theory and practice. However, the question of how to integrate and understand collaborative innovation from a theoretical perspective has not been thoroughly studied. This study designed a regional collaborative innovation evaluation model based on the triple helix theory. The invention patent data of 31 provincial regions in China for the last 5 years are used to investigate the regional differences and dynamic evolution of the collaborative innovation and the interaction and coupling relationship between intraregional and interregional industries, universities, and governments empirically. This study found that the number of invention patents in China has rapidly grown yearly, indicating that industries are the most important source of invention patents. The difference in the regional distribution of China's collaborative innovation output is remarkable, showing a pattern of “strong east and weak west” in the total volume and “south fast north slow” in the growth rate. The bilateral synergistic effect of industry–university relations is strong considering two‐dimensional cooperation, and the relationship is close. Collaborative innovation is dominated by intraregional cooperation, whereas interregional cooperation shows a growing trend. The tripartite relationship between university, industry, and government shows a loose trend. Certain provinces with weak regional innovation capabilities, such as Gansu, Hainan, Xinjiang, and Qinghai, have a relatively close cooperation level, which is in the stage of government‐led innovation and development. However, Guangdong, Chongqing, Anhui, Jiangsu, and other provinces with outstanding regional innovation capability do not have close cooperation between universities, industries, and governments, which are in the stage of innovation and development led by industries. This paper discusses the policy implications for different regions based on the research conclusions.

Suggested Citation

  • Tao Zhuang & Shuliang Zhao & Mingliang Zheng & Jianxun Chu, 2021. "Triple helix relationship research on China's regional university–industry–government collaborative innovation: Based on provincial patent data," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 1361-1386, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:52:y:2021:i:3:p:1361-1386
    DOI: 10.1111/grow.12490
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12490
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/grow.12490?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Loet Leydesdorff, 2003. "The mutual information of university-industry-government relations: An indicator of the Triple Helix dynamics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 58(2), pages 445-467, October.
    2. van Beers, Cees & Berghäll, Elina & Poot, Tom, 2008. "R&D internationalization, R&D collaboration and public knowledge institutions in small economies: Evidence from Finland and the Netherlands," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 294-308, March.
    3. Hu, Mei-Chih & Mathews, John A., 2008. "China's national innovative capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 1465-1479, October.
    4. Lei Ye & Gang Zeng & Xianzhong Cao, 2020. "Open innovation and innovative performance of universities: Evidence from China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 1142-1157, September.
    5. Martin Meyer & Tatiana Siniläinen & Jan Timm Utecht, 2003. "Towards hybrid Triple Helix indicators: A study of university-related patents and a survey of academic inventors," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 58(2), pages 321-350, October.
    6. Weimin Kang & Shuliang Zhao & Wei Song & Tao Zhuang, 2019. "Triple helix in the science and technology innovation centers of China from the perspective of mutual information: a comparative study between Beijing and Shanghai," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 118(3), pages 921-940, March.
    7. Juthathip Jongwanich & Archanun Kohpaiboon & Chih-Hai Yang, 2014. "Science park, triple helix, and regional innovative capacity: province-level evidence from China," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2), pages 333-352, April.
    8. Loet Leydesdorff & Martin Meyer, 2003. "The Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 58(2), pages 191-203, October.
    9. Philippe Lefebvre, 2013. "Organising deliberate innovation in knowledge clusters: from accidental brokering to purposeful brokering processes," Post-Print hal-01476060, HAL.
    10. Mingqing Xing, 2019. "Partial Privatization Policy and the R&D Risk Choice in a Mixed Duopoly Market," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 87(1), pages 60-80, January.
    11. Ron Boschma, 2015. "Do spinoff dynamics or agglomeration externalities drive industry clustering? A reappraisal of Steven Klepper’s work," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 24(4), pages 859-873.
    12. Yi Zhang & Xiao Zhou & Alan L. Porter & Jose M. Vicente Gomila & An Yan, 2014. "Triple Helix innovation in China’s dye-sensitized solar cell industry: hybrid methods with semantic TRIZ and technology roadmapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(1), pages 55-75, April.
    13. Yuzhuo Cai & Cui Liu, 2015. "The roles of universities in fostering knowledge-intensive clusters in Chinese regional innovation systems," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 42(1), pages 15-29.
    14. Han Woo Park & Heung Deug Hong & Loet Leydesdorff, 2005. "A comparison of the knowledge-based innovation systems in the economies of South Korea and the Netherlands using Triple Helix indicators," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 65(1), pages 3-27, October.
    15. Chung Joo Chung, 2014. "An analysis of the status of the Triple Helix and university–industry–government relationships in Asia," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(1), pages 139-149, April.
    16. Leydesdorff, Loet, 2000. "The triple helix: an evolutionary model of innovations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 243-255, February.
    17. Love, James H. & Roper, Stephen, 2001. "Location and network effects on innovation success: evidence for UK, German and Irish manufacturing plants," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 643-661, April.
    18. Hans Fogelberg & Stefan Thorpenberg, 2012. "Regional innovation policy and public--private partnership: The case of Triple Helix Arenas in Western Sweden," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 39(3), pages 347-356, April.
    19. Zoltan J. Acs & Luc Anselin & Attila Varga, 2008. "Patents and Innovation Counts as Measures of Regional Production of New Knowledge," Chapters, in: Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy, chapter 11, pages 135-151, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    20. Md. Dulal Hossain & Junghoon Moon & Hyoung Goo Kang & Sung Chul Lee & Young Chan Choe, 2012. "Mapping the dynamics of knowledge base of innovations of R&D in Bangladesh: triple helix perspective," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 90(1), pages 57-83, January.
    21. Inzelt, Annamaria, 2004. "The evolution of university-industry-government relationships during transition," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(6-7), pages 975-995, September.
    22. Nelson, Andrew J., 2009. "Measuring knowledge spillovers: What patents, licenses and publications reveal about innovation diffusion," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 994-1005, July.
    23. David Doloreux & Richard Shearmur, 2012. "Collaboration, information and the geography of innovation in knowledge intensive business services," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 79-105, January.
    24. Motohashi, Kazuyuki & Yun, Xiao, 2007. "China's innovation system reform and growing industry and science linkages," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 1251-1260, October.
    25. Jiao, Hao & Zhou, Jianghua & Gao, Taishan & Liu, Xielin, 2016. "The more interactions the better? The moderating effect of the interaction between local producers and users of knowledge on the relationship between R&D investment and regional innovation systems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 13-20.
    26. Carlos Rodrigues & Ana Melo, 2012. "The Triple Helix Model as an Instrument of Local Response to the Economic Crisis," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(9), pages 1483-1496, July.
    27. Kim, Younghwan & Kim, Wonjoon & Yang, Taeyong, 2012. "The effect of the triple helix system and habitat on regional entrepreneurship: Empirical evidence from the U.S," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 154-166.
    28. Lee, Chang-Yang, 2009. "Do firms in clusters invest in R&D more intensively? Theory and evidence from multi-country data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 1159-1171, September.
    29. Grzegorczyk, Malgorzata, 2019. "The role of culture-moderated social capital in technology transfer – insights from Asia and America," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 132-141.
    30. Furman, Jeffrey L. & Porter, Michael E. & Stern, Scott, 2002. "The determinants of national innovative capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 899-933, August.
    31. Liu, Xielin & White, Steven, 2001. "Comparing innovation systems: a framework and application to China's transitional context," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(7), pages 1091-1114, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sylvia Novillo-Villegas & Ricardo Ayala-Andrade & Juan Pablo Lopez-Cox & Javier Salazar-Oyaneder & Patricia Acosta-Vargas, 2022. "A Roadmap for Innovation Capacity in Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Miguel A. Ortiz Acuña & Adiel T. Almeida Filho & Francisco S. Ramos, 2024. "Modelling the triple helix system innovation of the main economies from Latin America: a coalitional game theory approach," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(6), pages 3245-3270, June.
    3. Xin Wang, 2023. "Research on the Coupling Coordination Degree of Triple Helix of Government Guidance, Industrial Innovation and Scientific Research Systems: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Tao, Zhuang & Shuliang, Zhao, 2022. "Collaborative innovation relationship in Yangtze River Delta of China: Subjects collaboration and spatial correlation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    5. Byeongdeuk Jang & Jae-Yong Choung & Inje Kang, 2022. "Knowledge production patterns of China and the US: quantum technology," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(10), pages 5691-5719, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhao, S.L. & Cacciolatti, L. & Lee, S.H. & Song, W., 2015. "Regional collaborations and indigenous innovation capabilities in China: A multivariate method for the analysis of regional innovation systems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 202-220.
    2. Noriko Yoda & Kenichi Kuwashima, 2020. "Triple Helix of University–Industry–Government Relations in Japan: Transitions of Collaborations and Interactions," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(3), pages 1120-1144, September.
    3. Ssu-Han Chen & Mu-Hsuan Huang & Dar-Zen Chen, 2013. "Driving factors of external funding and funding effects on academic innovation performance in university–industry–government linkages," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 94(3), pages 1077-1098, March.
    4. Yi Zhang & Kaihua Chen & Guilong Zhu & Richard C. M. Yam & Jiancheng Guan, 2016. "Inter-organizational scientific collaborations and policy effects: an ego-network evolutionary perspective of the Chinese Academy of Sciences," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1383-1415, September.
    5. Tao Zhuang & Zhixia Zhou & Qingjun Li, 2021. "University‐industry‐government triple helix relationship and regional innovation efficiency in China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 349-370, March.
    6. Yi Zhang & Xiao Zhou & Alan L. Porter & Jose M. Vicente Gomila & An Yan, 2014. "Triple Helix innovation in China’s dye-sensitized solar cell industry: hybrid methods with semantic TRIZ and technology roadmapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(1), pages 55-75, April.
    7. Shi, Xing & Wu, Yanrui & Fu, Dahai, 2020. "Does University-Industry collaboration improve innovation efficiency? Evidence from Chinese Firms⋄," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 39-53.
    8. Martin Meyer & Kevin Grant & Piera Morlacchi & Dagmara Weckowska, 2014. "Triple Helix indicators as an emergent area of enquiry: a bibliometric perspective," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(1), pages 151-174, April.
    9. Weimin Kang & Shuliang Zhao & Wei Song & Tao Zhuang, 2019. "Triple helix in the science and technology innovation centers of China from the perspective of mutual information: a comparative study between Beijing and Shanghai," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 118(3), pages 921-940, March.
    10. Zhang, Yi & Chen, Kaihua & Fu, Xiaolan, 2019. "Scientific effects of Triple Helix interactions among research institutes, industries and universities," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 86, pages 33-47.
    11. Chen, Kaihua & Zhang, Yi & Zhu, Guilong & Mu, Rongping, 2020. "Do research institutes benefit from their network positions in research collaboration networks with industries or/and universities?," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 94.
    12. Li, Yin & Arora, Sanjay & Youtie, Jan & Shapira, Philip, 2018. "Using web mining to explore Triple Helix influences on growth in small and mid-size firms," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 76, pages 3-14.
    13. Lee, Young Hoon & Kim, YoungJun, 2016. "Analyzing interaction in R&D networks using the Triple Helix method: Evidence from industrial R&D programs in Korean government," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 93-105.
    14. Varga, Attila & Sebestyén, Tamás, 2015. "Innováció Kelet-Közép-Európában. Az EU keretprogramjaiban való részvétel szerepe az innovációs teljesítményben [Innovation in Central East Europe. The role played in innovation performance by parti," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(9), pages 881-908.
    15. Proksch, Dorian & Haberstroh, Marcus Max & Pinkwart, Andreas, 2017. "Increasing the national innovative capacity: Identifying the pathways to success using a comparative method," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 256-270.
    16. Guan, JianCheng & Yam, Richard C.M., 2015. "Effects of government financial incentives on firms’ innovation performance in China: Evidences from Beijing in the 1990s," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 273-282.
    17. Zhao, Shu Liang & Song, Wei & Zhu, Dong Yun & Peng, Xiao Bao & Cai, Wenjing, 2013. "Evaluating China's regional collaboration innovation capability from the innovation actors perspective—An AHP and cluster analytical approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 182-190.
    18. Li, Xibao, 2011. "Sources of External Technology, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation Capability in Chinese State-Owned High-Tech Enterprises," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 1240-1248, July.
    19. Chung Joo Chung, 2014. "An analysis of the status of the Triple Helix and university–industry–government relationships in Asia," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(1), pages 139-149, April.
    20. Kiyong Om & Jungmann Lee & Juno Chang, 2007. "Using supply chain management to enhance industry—university collaborations in IT higher education in Korea," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 71(3), pages 455-471, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:52:y:2021:i:3:p:1361-1386. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0017-4815 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.