Impacts of Manufacturing Specialized and Diversified Agglomeration on the Eco-Innovation Efficiency—A Nonlinear Test from Dynamic Perspective

Lu Zhang, Renyan Mu, Shuhua Hu, Quan Zhang and Song Wang
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Lu Zhang: School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Renyan Mu: School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Shuhua Hu: School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Quan Zhang: School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Song Wang: School of Economics and Business Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-27

Abstract: Eco-innovation is the main driver of realizing the coordinated development of resource, environmental and economic systems. This paper measures regional eco-innovation efficiency ( EIE ) by using the Super-Slack Based Measure (SBM) model with undesirable outputs and distinguishes different agglomeration patterns based on Chinese data of 21 manufacturing sub-industries of 30 provinces. In particular, from the perspective of the dynamic evolution of manufacturing agglomeration, the nonlinear effects of specialized and diversified agglomeration on EIE are investigated based on panel threshold regression models. The results indicate that China’s EIE shows a U-shaped changing trend. The impacts of specialized and diversified agglomeration on EIE are nonlinear and have significant three-threshold effects. There exist a U-shaped relationship between specialized agglomeration and EIE , and an S-shaped relationship between diversified agglomeration and EIE . In terms of eco-innovation, the development of diversified agglomeration is superior to that of specialized agglomeration. Overall, there is still much room for more than 70% of provinces in China to increase their EIE by optimizing the layout of manufacturing specialized and diversified agglomeration. To improve the EIE and achieve sustainable economic growth, differentiated agglomeration policies should be formulated in various stages and regions. In addition, the driving mechanism of eco-innovation should be strengthened.

Keywords: specialized agglomeration; diversified agglomeration; eco-innovation efficiency; manufacturing industry; panel threshold regression; nonlinear effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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