Spatial Disparity and Efficiency of Science and Technology Resources in China

In the knowledge economy era,science and technology(S&T) resources are getting more and more important in shaping regional competiveness and building regional innovation capacity.As such,the spatial distribution of S&T resources is a key to understanding regional development and disparities.By designing an input-output indicator system,this paper develops an evaluation model to examine the spatial distribution of S&T resources in China and assess their spatial efficiency.Moreover,the paper tries to explain spatial differences in the efficiency of S&T resources in China.Major findings are:1) the input and output of S&T resources in China shows a clear T-shaped spatial structure,i.e.,concentrated mainly in the coastal region and along the Changjiang(Yangtze) River;2) the efficiency of S&T resources in China displays strong spatial disparities,with the level of efficiency descending from the east to the west while high efficiency appearing in only several clusters;3) the utilization rates of S&T resources in most provinces are quite low,resulting in low efficiency of S&T resources allocation.The paper suggests that the utilization rate of S&T resources should be raised and the commercialization of S&T outputs should be enhanced to improve the efficiency of S&T resources in China.

Investment Promotion for Development Zones in China:Underlying Rationale and Policy Options

Development zones(DZs)have emerged as a significant policy initiative for promoting regional coordination and facilitating resources allocation.They serve as an organizational framework for fostering industrial agglomeration and driving high-quality development.DZs attract and accommodate resource factors,firms,and projects,thereby functioning as a central catalyst for economic growth.This study utilizes data collected at the“DZ,City and Countrycountry”levels through manual compilation,textual analysis,and innovation measurement.It aims to empirically examine the theoretical rationale and practical preferences for promoting business and investment in China’s DZs.This study considers several factors such as industry attribute,firm attribute,agglomeration theory,and industrial chain layout.Based on our research findings,DZs exhibit distinct preferences.First,industry attribute:DZs align with both national and regional strategic planning and adhere to the industrial endowments of the respective areas.Second,firm attribute:DZs prioritize attracting firms that are productive and innovative,and have an international presence,rather than those that primarily contribute to taxes and job creation.Third,DZs are guided by the agglomeration theory,which suggests that they prefer firms that generate strong agglomeration externalities.Lastly,DZs also consider the industrial chain layout,aiming to attract firms that not only align with their existing industrial strengths but also extend to the upstream and downstream supply chain links.These conclusions are substantiated by the performance of robustness test.The success of DZs in China can be attributed to the five key principles:Adherence to national and regional strategic planning,prioritizing the actual industrial foundation,incorporating the theory of agglomeration externalities,strengthening corporate competitiveness,and expanding industrial chains.