Evolution Characteristics and Driving Mechanisms of Innovation’s Spatial Pattern in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Urban Agglomeration Under Coordinated Development Policy: Evidence from Patent Data

Ruixi Dong, Shuxin Shen and Yuhao Yang ()
Additional contact information
Ruixi Dong: School of Architecture and Art Design, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, China
Shuxin Shen: School of Architecture and Art Design, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, China
Yuhao Yang: School of Architecture, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-27

Abstract: Against the backdrop of global economic digital transformation and the rapid flow of creative factors, innovation spaces, as the key carriers of inventive activities, drive high-quality development in urban agglomerations. This study develops a three-dimensional framework of “Spatial Structure–Factor Synergy–Institutional Drivers” to uncover the evolution of innovation spaces and industrial shifts in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration, China. Methodologically, spatial econometric techniques were applied to capture both the overall concentration and spatial disparities of innovation. Spatial Gini and variation coefficients measured innovation clustering, while standard deviation ellipses and location entropy identified spatial linkages among high-tech innovation clusters. Geographically weighted regression models explored spatial heterogeneity in influencing factors, and a policy intensity index was constructed to assess the effectiveness of differentiated policy interventions in optimizing innovation resources. Key findings include the following: (1) Innovation spaces are spatially polarized in a “core–periphery” pattern, yet require cross-regional collaboration. Concurrently, high-tech industries demonstrate a gradient structure: central cities leading in R&D, sub-central cities driving industrial applications, and node cities achieving specialized development through industrial transfer. (2) The driving mechanisms exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity: economic density shows diminishing returns in core areas, whereas R&D investment and ecological quality demonstrate increasingly positive effects, with foreign investment’s role evolving positively post-institutional reforms. (3) Regional innovation synergy has formed a preliminary framework, but strengthening sustainable policy mechanisms remains pivotal to advancing market-driven coordination and dismantling administrative barriers. These findings underscore the importance of integrated policy reforms for achieving balanced and high-quality innovation development in administratively coordinated urban agglomerations like BTH.

Keywords: innovation space; cross-regional coordination; urban agglomeration; high-tech industries; Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/11/2206/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/11/2206/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:11:p:2206-:d:1789106

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().