PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2015, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (5): 617-628.doi: 10.11820/dlkxjz.2015.05.010

• 产业地理 • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research progress and prospect of technology spillover effect of industrial transfer

Shaoqi PAN1,3, Yating LI2,3, Shang GAO1, Changhong MIAO2,3   

  1. 1. College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
    2. Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, Henan, China
    3. Collaborative Innovation Center on Yellow River Civilization of Henan Province, Kaifeng 475001, Henan, China
  • Received:2015-06-01 Revised:2015-03-01 Online:2015-06-17 Published:2015-06-17

Abstract:

Technology spillover of industrial transfer is an important form of technology flow and diffusion. This article reviews the evolution of research on technology spillover of industrial transfer and summarizes the main debates in recent years on technology spillover effect of industrial transfer. The view of "significant positive effect" mainly originated from the observation of positive knowledge transfer from developed countries or regions to less developed countries or regions, while the view of "non-significant effect or negative effect"mainly originated from the recognition of obstacles of technology spillover, especially the will of technology spillover of the transferred enterprises. Based on the influence of factors such as technology, donor and receptor, circulation network, distance, and external environment on the technology spillover effect of industrial transfer, this article provides explanations on these debates. The article holds that technology spillover effect of industrial transfer has strong spatiotemporal characteristics. Heterogeneity of technology, space, and agents determines that technology spillover of industrial transfer is not an inevitable economic phenomenon, but a contingent effect deeply influenced by industrial characteristics, regional conditions, and external environment. The main reason for the academic debates is the difference in influencing factors of different regions of empirical research. Moreover, some of the studies did not fully consider the influence of related factors. Future study on technology spillover of industrial transfer should fully consider the characteristics of case study regions and set strict constraints. Finally, this article puts forward five research directions that need to be focused on in future research: (1) contingency of technology spillover of industrial transfer; (2) the influence of technology circulation network; (3) the influence of distance; (4) the control mechanism of transferred enterprises to technology spillover; and (5) the difference of technology spillover mechanisms between international and interregional industrial transfer.

Key words: industrial transfer, technology spillover, contingent effect, research progress