Exploring the interaction relationship between Beautiful China-SciTech innovation using coupling coordination and predictive analysis: a case study of Zhejiang

• Published in: Environment, development and sustainability development and sustainability, 2022-10, Vol.24 (10), p.12097-12130
• Main Authors: Hua, Yi-di, Hu, Ke-man, Qiu, Lu-yi, Dong, Hong-an, Ding, Lei, Lo, Sio-Long
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Back propagation; Back propagation networks; Coordination; Coupling; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Economic analysis; Economic Geology; Economic Growth; Entropy; Environment; Environmental Economics; Environmental Management; Innovations; Integration; Neural networks; Policy making; Statistical analysis; Subsystems; Sustainable Development; Transformation
• ISSN: 1387-585X; 1573-2975
• DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01936-6

Exploring interaction of Beautiful China and SciTech Innovation is an important way to realize economic transformation and sustainable development in China. Existed researches have analyzed the development of ecology or development of SciTech Innovation in China while few have studied the correlation between Beautiful China and SciTech innovation. This study takes Zhejiang province as a case and analyzed the integration level of Beautiful Zhejiang and SciTech Innovation with an aim to shed light on policy making. Evaluating index systems of Beautiful Zhejiang and SciTech Innovation with 8 subsystems and 36 indicators are established. The weights of indexes are calculated with more precise accuracy by combing Structure Entropy Method and Mean Squared Deviation Method. Related statistics of 11 cities of Zhejiang province are collected for time period of 2007–2017, and comprehensive development indexes are evaluated. Coupling coordination degree between the two systems is computed, and coupling coordination degree of 2018–2021 is predicted based on Back Propagation Neural Network. The results show as follows. (1) The development of both systems of Beautiful Zhejiang and SciTech Innovation are in a steady upward trend with SciTech Innovation lagging behind Beautiful Zhejiang. The system of Beautiful Zhejiang ranks as Hangzhou > Ningbo > Wenzhou > Shaoxing > Jinhua > Taizhou > Jiaxing > Huzhou > Zhoushan > Lishui > Quzhou. The system of SciTech Innovation ranks as Hangzhou > Ningbo > Jiaxing > Shaoxing > Wenzhou > Taizhou > Jinhua > Huzhou > Zhoushan > Lishui > Quzhou. (2) The integration level of Hangzhou and Ningbo are developing from Barely Balanced stage to Superior Balanced stage in 2007–2017; Wenzhou, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Shaoxing, Jinhua, Quzhou, Zhou Shan, and Taizhou are developing from Slightly Unbalanced stage to Barely Balanced stage; Lishui has the lowest integration level developing from extremely unbalanced stage to barely balanced stage. (3) The integration level based on coupling coordination degree is predicted with the method of Back Propagation Neural Network, and it is found that by 2021 Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Shaoxing and Taizhou will enter the Superior Balanced stage successively while Jiaxing, Huzhou, Jinhua, Quzhou, Zhoushan, and Lishui will remain in the Barely Balanced stage.