Development Zones and Firm Innovation: Evidence from Shanghai

A majority of Chinese high-tech firms were founded in development zones established by the Chinese government. It is necessary to identify the impacts of development zones on firms’ innovation (hereinafter referred to as “innovation effects”) as well as the possible knowledge spillover of development zones. Different types of zones, due to their different administrative levels and original purposes of establishment, may have different innovation effects. In this paper, the innovation effects of the Shanghai development zones are identified by using the geographic range of Shanghai development zones as well as geographic coordinates, patents, and research and development (R&D) data of manufacturing firms. The research results robustly show that there are significant and positive innovation effects of development zones. Through the use of regression analysis and by using firm data on both sides of zone boundaries, we observe knowledge spillovers. We also test a possible mechanism for the innovation effects of development zones.