The Effect of Patent Incentive Policy Synergy on Patent Quality—Mediating Role of Firms’ Ambidextrous R&D Behavior

This article categorizes patent incentive policies (PIPs) introduced by provincial governments across China into two types based on their operational characteristics and content: patent creation policies (PCPs) and patent utilization policies (PUPs). We investigate the impact of these two types of PIPs, along with their synergy magnitude and balance, on the patent quality of enterprises. In order to better explain the paths and ways of the effects of PIPs on patent quality, this article also considers the mediating role of firms' ambidextrous R&D behaviors. It is divided into exploration and exploitation of R&D behaviors by technology boundaries. The research results show that PCPs and PUPs each have different effects on ambidextrous R&D behavior and patent quality, and there is even the possibility of negative effects. The higher the magnitude and balance of synergy between the two types of PIPs, the more they can promote patent quality improvement. In addition, the magnitude and balance between the two types of PIPs synergy have different effects on ambidextrous R&D behavior. The mediating effect of dual R&D behavior between PIPs and patent quality is significant.