Evaluation of Regional Innovation Efficiency in China Based on Three-Stage DEA Model

This paper uses the three-stage DEA model to measure the regional innovation efficiency of 30 provinces in China from 2009 to 2016. The research shows that: (1) the innovation efficiency of most provinces in China is overestimated by environmental factors and random factors; (2) Except for Beijing and Zhejiang, most of the provinces have large room for improvement in regional innovation capability, and regional differences are significant; (3) Gini coefficient, coefficient of variation, and Theil index verify that there is a significant overall difference in regional innovation efficiency in China, but the difference is fluctuating. Based on this, further improvement of China's regional innovation capability requires strengthening inter-regional mobility, weakening regional innovation barriers, and promoting the establishment of regional innovation alliances to promote the coordinated development of regional innovation. Keywords—regional innovation; three-stage DEA model; regional difference