Do the High-Tech Industrial Development Zones Foster Urban Innovation? A Case Study of China

China’s high-tech industrial development zones (HIDZs) is a key “place-based” policy targeting national innovation-driven development. Despite the extensive research on HIDZs, it remains unclear whether and to what extent the policy has fostered cities’ innovation output and quality. Basing our rese...

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Main Authors: Qixuan Wang, Jie Ren, Simin Yan, Zhan Cao, Yao Cheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-04-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/830
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author Qixuan Wang
Jie Ren
Simin Yan
Zhan Cao
Yao Cheng
author_facet Qixuan Wang
Jie Ren
Simin Yan
Zhan Cao
Yao Cheng
author_sort Qixuan Wang
collection DOAJ
description China’s high-tech industrial development zones (HIDZs) is a key “place-based” policy targeting national innovation-driven development. Despite the extensive research on HIDZs, it remains unclear whether and to what extent the policy has fostered cities’ innovation output and quality. Basing our research on panel data of Chinese cities from 2001 to 2019, we employed the PSM-DID model to examine the impact of HIDZs policy on their host cities’ innovation output and quality. The empirical results show that: (1) In general, the establishment of HIDZs has a more significant positive effect on fostering urban innovation output compared to its role in promoting urban innovation quality. However, (2) the effect on urban innovation output and quality varies across different cities. For cities with more advantageous locations and policies, HIDZ policy plays a more instrumental role in promoting the quality of urban innovation, while the establishment of HIDZs in other cities is more conducive to increasing the output of urban innovation. Ultimately, we argue that authorities must recognize the importance of integrated development of HIDZs and their host cities and incorporating HIDZs’ impact on the host cities into the HIDZ evaluation. It is necessary to understand that HIDZs have multiple development modes due to their specific local conditions. Hence, differentiated guidance must be carried out rather than directly replicating the experience from developed regions.
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spelling doaj.art-17f8cf3f1ef741e4a5a5eb01f65c49132023-11-17T20:02:51ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2023-04-0112483010.3390/land12040830Do the High-Tech Industrial Development Zones Foster Urban Innovation? A Case Study of ChinaQixuan Wang0Jie Ren1Simin Yan2Zhan Cao3Yao Cheng4College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaCollege of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaInstitute of Geography, Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, GermanyCollege of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaCollege of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaChina’s high-tech industrial development zones (HIDZs) is a key “place-based” policy targeting national innovation-driven development. Despite the extensive research on HIDZs, it remains unclear whether and to what extent the policy has fostered cities’ innovation output and quality. Basing our research on panel data of Chinese cities from 2001 to 2019, we employed the PSM-DID model to examine the impact of HIDZs policy on their host cities’ innovation output and quality. The empirical results show that: (1) In general, the establishment of HIDZs has a more significant positive effect on fostering urban innovation output compared to its role in promoting urban innovation quality. However, (2) the effect on urban innovation output and quality varies across different cities. For cities with more advantageous locations and policies, HIDZ policy plays a more instrumental role in promoting the quality of urban innovation, while the establishment of HIDZs in other cities is more conducive to increasing the output of urban innovation. Ultimately, we argue that authorities must recognize the importance of integrated development of HIDZs and their host cities and incorporating HIDZs’ impact on the host cities into the HIDZ evaluation. It is necessary to understand that HIDZs have multiple development modes due to their specific local conditions. Hence, differentiated guidance must be carried out rather than directly replicating the experience from developed regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/830high-tech industrial development zone (HIDZ)output and quality of urban innovationperformance evaluationpolicy implicationdifference-in-difference model
spellingShingle Qixuan Wang
Jie Ren
Simin Yan
Zhan Cao
Yao Cheng
Do the High-Tech Industrial Development Zones Foster Urban Innovation? A Case Study of China
Land
high-tech industrial development zone (HIDZ)
output and quality of urban innovation
performance evaluation
policy implication
difference-in-difference model
title Do the High-Tech Industrial Development Zones Foster Urban Innovation? A Case Study of China
title_full Do the High-Tech Industrial Development Zones Foster Urban Innovation? A Case Study of China
title_fullStr Do the High-Tech Industrial Development Zones Foster Urban Innovation? A Case Study of China
title_full_unstemmed Do the High-Tech Industrial Development Zones Foster Urban Innovation? A Case Study of China
title_short Do the High-Tech Industrial Development Zones Foster Urban Innovation? A Case Study of China
title_sort do the high tech industrial development zones foster urban innovation a case study of china
topic high-tech industrial development zone (HIDZ)
output and quality of urban innovation
performance evaluation
policy implication
difference-in-difference model
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/830
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