Construct a Regional Innovation Ecosystem: A Case Study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region in China

• Published in: Sustainability 2023-04, Vol.15 (9), p.7099
• Main Authors: Cao, Yuan, Liu, Jingxian, Yang, Ying, Liu, Xiaolin, Liu, Zhixuan, Lv, Ning, Ma, Hongkun, Wang, Zhenyao, Li, Hongtu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case studies; China; Comparative analysis; Economic growth; Ecosystems; Environmental economics; Evolution; Innovations; Rain forests; Rainforests; Regions; Sustainability; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su15097099

Constructing a Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE) can be an effective way to utilize innovation resources by breaking the existing regional barriers. Existing research focuses more on exploring the characteristics, evolution, and impact of innovation ecosystems from a theoretical perspective, while few studies combine reality with exploring how to build an effective innovation ecosystem. Given that the concept of an innovation ecosystem is inspired by natural ecosystems, using the method of comparative analysis, this article begins by analyzing the characteristics of tropical rainforests as the most stable and efficient natural ecosystem and deeply explores the essential features of an efficient RIE, including an innovative soft and hard environment, multi-level and differentiated producers, consumers and decomposers of innovative activities, and a virtuous cycle of innovation resources. By comparing Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei’s current reality with these characteristics, this article systematically analyzes the advantages of the innovation environment, the further improvement of innovation resource aggregation and innovation chains, as well as the disadvantages of an unbalanced distribution of innovation resources, the leapfrogging transformation of scientific and technological achievements, low innovation levels of market-oriented innovation entities, and loss of innovative factors, such as talents. Based on this analysis, targeted suggestions to construct a RIE in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, including using both market and administrative approaches to allocating innovation factors, stimulating the innovation vitality of market-oriented innovation entities, taking multiple measures to enhance Hebei Province’s capacity, building an innovative environment that is livable and business-friendly are proposed.