Technology transfer in asymmetric innovation corridors: Theory and empirical evidence from China

Abstract

While top universities, tech giants, venture capitalists, and professional managers are pivotal in creating innovation corridors in Western developed countries, they are often lacking or scarce in emerging economies. China is currently developing an “asymmetric” innovation corridors model led by government policy, with the G60 Innovation Corridor as a noteworthy success story. However, this phenomenon has received limited theoretical attention. This paper conducts a social network analysis of technology transfer in strategic emerging industries along the G60 Innovation Corridor. We find that the scale of technology transfer from core cities to relatively less developed cities along the corridor is increasing, with numerous new technology transfer pathways emerging. Empirical findings further indicate that the government-led policy plays a significant role in this process. The specific internal mechanisms include the G60 Innovation Corridor policy's emphasis on integrating technology, digitalization, and finance, facilitating the agglomeration of high-tech enterprises, and enhancing innovation ecology (e.g., basic research, investment in scientific research, and openness to external influences). Moreover, our study reveals that policies related to the G60 Innovation Corridor not only facilitate firm-to-firm technology transfer but also enable technology transfer from scientific organizations (universities, research institutes) in core cities to firms in relatively less developed cities along the corridor.