Abstract:

Enterprises are the owner and user of R&D factors, and their non-local entry behavior will inevitably cause the spillover and flow of production technology and R&D factors in space, and then produce the polarization effect or the diffusion effect on regional innovation. So, does Chinese enterprises' non-local entry promote the convergence of the regional innovation space? Does the inflow of innovation factors including R&D personnel and R&D capital have the intermediary effect mechanism and what characteristics differences does it manifest? In order to answer these questions, this paper focuses on the analysis of the intermediary effect mechanism of enterprises' non-local entry affecting the convergence of the regional innovation space and the inflow of innovation factors.
The existing research literature on the spatial convergence of regional innovation in China mainly focuses on the analysis of the factors affecting the convergence of the innovation space and the characterization of the overall characteristics of the innovation space convergence, and there is a lack of in-depth analysis of the spatial convergence mechanism affecting innovation. In fact, enterprises are the key organizational carriers of knowledge spillovers and innovation elements flow. However, few studies have been done on the mechanism of knowledge spillovers and R&D factors flow which affect the regional innovation convergence caused by the dynamic behaviors of enterprises' non-local entry. In view of this, this paper focuses on the micro-mechanism research of knowledge spillovers through the inflow mechanism of innovation factors and promoting the convergence of the regional innovation space.
This paper constructs the innovation convergence model of enterprises' non-local entry by using the ideas and methods of the product transformation model, discusses the micro-mechanism of knowledge spillover and innovation factor inflow caused by enterprises' non-local entry, and then produces the convergence effect of the regional innovation space. Through rigorous mathematical model deduction, this paper proposes two hypotheses: (1) The knowledge spillover effect is generated by enterprises' non-local entry, attracting a large number of local enterprises to adopt new technology, thus forming the convergence effect of the regional innovation space;(2) The inflow of R&D personnel has a significant intermediary effect on enterprises' non-local entry to promote the convergence of the regional innovation space, and there is the same intermediary mechanism for R&D capital inflow.
In order to fit the theoretical mechanism analysis of the influence of enterprises' non-local entry on the β convergence of regional innovation, this paper expands the convergence model in the economic growth theory, and sets up the intermediary effect model of the inflow of innovation factors for empirical analysis. In order to conduct the empirical analysis from micro-enterprises'non-local entry to the dynamic convergence of macro-regional innovation, this paper constructs the panel data set of enterprises-region mixing by using the data set of subsidiaries and regional macro-data sets of listed manufacturing companies in different places, which provides empirical evidence for theoretical hypothesis. Among them, innovation elements are divided into R&D personnel inflow and R&D capital inflow. The inflow of R&D personnel from other regions to a certain region is measured by the gravity model to represent the regional inflow of innovation elements.
The global autocorrelation test of regional innovation shows that China's regional innovation Moran index is relatively balanced, which means that China has a higher degree of market opening and integration, and the spatial dependence of regional innovation is strong and stable. The basic estimation and robustness test of regional innovation convergence show that the regional innovation in China has significant spatial correlation and absolute convergence and conditional convergence, and manifests the characteristics of continuous and stable convergence. Enterprises' non-local entry generates the knowledge spillover, and the inter- regional flow of collaborative R&D elements promotes the convergence of regional innovation in China. The mechanism of intermediary effect of the inflow of innovation factors shows that there are significant differences in the influence of different types of innovation factors. The inflow of R&D personnel has a significant intermediary effect, which strengthens the convergence of enterprises' non-local entry on regional innovation, while the intermediary effect of R&D capital inflow is not significant.
Therefore, the regional innovation policy of local governments should take into account the spillover effect of regional innovation in neighboring areas, especially the knowledge spillover caused by the dynamic behavior of enterprises' space entry and exit and the regional flow of R&D factors, which further strengthen the inter-regional dependence of innovation, thus promoting the spatial convergence of regional innovation. Measures should be taken to further promote reform and opening up and improve the level of regional market integration, form a unified large market, and create convenient conditions for enterprises to enter and exit, so as to promote the optimization of the allocation of elements, especially innovation elements in a wider range. Local governments should pay attention to the role of enterprises as the carrier of innovation elements. The judgment standards of enterprises should be changed from the traditional factor scale perspective to the perspective of technology content, keep the channels of investment and R&D personnel flowing in different places unblocked, and create a mechanism suitable for the knowledge spillover and the innovation accumulation, so as to realize the adjustment of the regional economic structure and high-quality development.
The research in this paper is of great reference significance to optimize the development policy and the innovation policy of enterprises. It enriches the spatial convergence research of the economic growth theory while expanding the innovation theory. It tries to make the following marginal contributions: First, the model of innovation convergence of enterprises entering from different places is constructed by connecting the micro-enterprise entry and the regional macro-innovation with the help of the product transformation model, thus providing a rigorous theoretical framework for analysis; Second, from the perspective of setting up branches in different places, the factors of enriching the convergence of regional innovation space are analyzed; Third, the regional innovation β convergence model is constructed to expand the practical application of the convergence model of the economic growth theory.

Key words: Firms Entering in Other Places, Regional Innovation, Spatial Convergence Effect, R&D Personnel, Mediating Effect

摘要：

本文旨在考察企业异地进入行为的区域创新空间收敛效应及创新要素流入的中介效应机制。首先,通过理论分析和构建模型提出研究假说;然后,设置空间收敛模型和中介效应模型,基于上市公司的子公司数据做实证分析。研究结果表明,企业异地进入显著促进区域创新空间收敛且表现为绝对收敛和条件收敛同时存在,研发人员流入具有显著的中介作用,而研发资本流入未产生中介作用。因此,地方政府在完善企业发展政策和创新政策时应重视异地进入企业的知识溢出和研发要素流入的创新收敛效应,充分利用邻近区域的创新溢出吸引研发人员流入,以促进区域创新的持续收敛,进而形成区域经济结构转型和高质量发展的长效机制。

关键词: 企业异地进入, 区域创新, 空间收敛, 研发人员, 中介效应