The spatial distribution and synergistic effect of different innovation activities in Chinese cities: An analysis based on technology, design, and market activities

This study analyzes the spatial distribution and synergies of technology, design, and market innovation in Chinese cities using data on invention patents, design patents, and trademarks from 296 cities at the prefecture level and above from 2014 to 2022. It focuses on innovation disparities across regions and city sizes. The findings reveal a positive correlation between innovation intensity and both city population size and GDP per capita. Large-scale and eastern cities excel in three types of innovation activities, but innovation differences between cities become balanced as the gap in market innovation gradually narrows. Technology innovation is a key driver of new technology, new design, and new market specialization, and its relatedness and cross-relatedness are the most significant drivers of innovation specialization. Additionally, the synergies of innovation activities show significant heterogeneity across regions and city sizes: in western cities, technology-market cross-relatedness has a stronger impact on new market specialization than in eastern and central cities. The influence of technology relatedness on new technology and new market specialization gradually strengthens as cities shift from east to west and from large to small and medium-sized cities. This study offers new insights into China's urban innovation disparities and provides implications for policy making.