PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2016, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (9): 1119-1128.doi: 10.18306/dlkxjz.2016.09.007

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Spatial characteristics and dynamic change of innovation outputs in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Jianwei ZHANG1,2, Jiangjiang SHI1, Yanhua WANG2, Jianji ZHAO2,*()   

  1. 1. School of Resources Environment and Tourism, Anyang Normal University, Anyang 455000, Henan, China
    2. Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development & Collaborative Innovation Center on Yellow River Civilization of Henan Province, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, Henan, China
  • Received:2016-04-01 Revised:2016-07-01 Online:2016-09-20 Published:2016-09-20
  • Contact: Jianji ZHAO E-mail:zhaojianji@126.com
  • Supported by:
    Foundation: National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41501136, No.41301115, No.41430637, No.41501141; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, No.2015M582180, No.2014T70673; Major Program of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Henan Province, No.2014-SZZD-20

Abstract:

This article analyzes the spatial distribution of innovation outputs—measured by the number of patent authorization—in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, using exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) method, based on the statistical data of 853 county-level cities from 1986 to 2014.The results are as follow: (1) The absolute difference of innovation output growth of the Yangtze River Economic Belt slowed before 2001, followed by a rapid growth in 2012, then began to decrease again. But the relative difference showed an increase-decrease-increase slowly-decrease trend, with increasing annual spatial correlation; (2) Innovative outputs in the Yangtze River Economic Belt counties showed dispersion, concentration, relative concentration spatial patterns. Counties/districts with higher innovation outputs were the urban districts of prefectural-level cities, economically developed counties, and the urban districts of provincial capital cities in the midwest. (3) The overall pattern of significant spatially correlated type areas was stable, while local changes were significantly. Positive correlation type was dominant at the county level, especially the significant low-low correlation type. Low-low correlation areas were mainly in the western region, but showed a tendency to extend to the central area. (4) Resource endowment, education level and R & D investment, technology spillover and diffusion, and policy and institution played a significant role in the process of change of innovation output spatial pattern in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Key words: innovation output, spatial characteristics, spatial autocorrelation, spatial and temporal evolution, Yangtze River Economic Belt