Spatio-temporal evolution and growth effects of technological correlation network in the Yangtze River Delta
Received date: 2025-07-23
Revised date: 2025-09-11
Online published: 2025-11-10
Supported by
National Natural Science Foundation of China(42171420)
National Social Science Foundation of China(23&ZD068)
Soft Science Foundation of Shanghai(24692115600)
Copyright
In the era of the knowledge economy, endogenous technological relatedness has increasingly evolved into networked configurations, profoundly reshaping the micro-level transmission mechanisms and output pathways of regional innovation. The spatiotemporal complexity and growth effects of these networks have attracted growing scholarly attention. Drawing on technological correlation theory, this study examines the spatiotemporal evolution and growth effects of the technological correlation network in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2002 to 2021. Results show that the network has expanded steadily, with deepening technological integration and a marked concentration of globally connected technologies along the Shanghai-Nanjing-Hefei-Hangzhou-Ningbo corridor. Its structural backbone has shifted from single-core dominance to multi-core concurrency, where star-shaped, chain-like, and tree-like patterns coexist, and the rise of hub and backbone technologies has become a key driver of urban innovation. The network also demonstrates strong modularity: the number of communities remains stable, yet their scales diverge and compositions diversify, with core technologies rooted both in origin hubs such as Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou and in application markets including Changzhou, Nantong, and Huzhou. While the knowledge base of individual technological clusters shows increasing diversification, cities with concentrated innovation resources—such as Nantong, Yancheng, and Jinhua—tend to prioritize specific domains. Patterns of urban network evolution can be categorized as comprehensive innovation, horizontal expansion, vertical specialization, or balanced low-level growth, broadly aligned with economic and administrative hierarchies. Growth effects are heterogeneous: aggregation and chain-like structures yield rising marginal benefits, while modular and global features follow an inverted U-shaped trajectory. These dynamics are further moderated by the scale of universities, enterprises, and individuals, as well as by the broader policy environment.
Lu Zhaopeng , Zhang Hong , Fan Fei . Spatio-temporal evolution and growth effects of technological correlation network in the Yangtze River Delta[J]. GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE, 2025 , 45(12) : 2600 -2612 . DOI: 10.13249/j.cnki.sgs.20250928
图2 2002—2021年长三角地区技术关联网络骨干结构的演化标注为所属门类:A47G(家用或餐桌用具);A61B(诊断;外科手术;鉴定);A61K(医用护理制剂组);B01D(物料分离技术类);B29C(塑材成形加工类);B65D(储运包装容器组);B65G(物料输储装置类);C02F(水污处理技术类);F16K(通用工程部件类);G01F(体积流量计量装置);G01N(材料性质测试类);G06F(电数字数据处理);H01H(电控保护装置组);H01R(电连接结构组);H01L(不包含在H10类中的半导体器件) Fig. 2 Technology networks backbone structure in the Yangtze River Delta from 2002 to 2021 |
表1 长三角地区技术关联网络分蘖模式及特征值Table 1 Urban branching type and characteristics of the Yangtze River Delta |
| 模式类型 | 城市 | 聚合特征 | 链式特征 | 模块特征 | 全局特征 | 模式类型 | 城市 | 聚合特征 | 链式特征 | 模块特征 | 全局特征 | |
| 综合创新型 | 南京 | 0.72 | 0.83 | 0.32 | 0.42 | 水平拓展型 | 泰州 | 0.42 | 0.30 | 0.52 | 0.54 | |
| 上海 | 0.66 | 0.87 | 0.35 | 0.57 | 宿迁 | 0.59 | 0.42 | 0.52 | 0.45 | |||
| 合肥 | 0.38 | 0.65 | 0.26 | 0.61 | 常州 | 0.57 | 0.57 | 0.50 | 0.78 | |||
| 杭州 | 0.63 | 0.75 | 0.30 | 0.56 | 宁波 | 0.39 | 0.25 | 0.31 | 0.67 | |||
| 低水平均衡型 | 徐州 | 0.21 | 0.18 | 0.37 | 0.24 | 南通 | 0.54 | 0.49 | 0.62 | 0.45 | ||
| 台州 | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.47 | 0.33 | 嘉兴 | 0.62 | 0.42 | 0.55 | 0.61 | |||
| 温州 | 0.08 | 0.12 | 0.50 | 0.35 | 湖州 | 0.72 | 0.46 | 0.73 | 0.52 | |||
| 舟山 | 0.16 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.52 | 绍兴 | 0.67 | 0.40 | 0.67 | 0.58 | |||
| 金华 | 0.22 | 0.12 | 0.66 | 0.09 | 苏州 | 0.41 | 0.35 | 0.69 | 0.73 | |||
| 垂直深耕型 | 亳州 | 0.44 | 0.25 | 0.76 | 0.16 | 无锡 | 0.63 | 0.36 | 0.55 | 0.54 | ||
| 丽水 | 0.50 | 0.28 | 0.78 | 0.17 | 芜湖 | 0.42 | 0.39 | 0.55 | 0.74 | |||
| 连云港 | 0.62 | 0.52 | 0.61 | 0.26 | 淮南 | 0.39 | 0.35 | 0.24 | 0.62 | |||
| 阜阳 | 0.58 | 0.37 | 0.80 | 0.16 | 马鞍山 | 0.53 | 0.38 | 0.48 | 0.60 | |||
| 淮安 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.55 | 0.36 | 淮北 | 0.46 | 0.37 | 0.42 | 0.51 | |||
| 蚌埠 | 0.45 | 0.38 | 0.55 | 0.30 | 铜陵 | 0.60 | 0.29 | 0.56 | 0.79 | |||
| 衢州 | 0.34 | 0.33 | 0.51 | 0.26 | 安庆 | 0.57 | 0.33 | 0.70 | 0.39 | |||
| 宿州 | 0.46 | 0.33 | 0.57 | 0.21 | 黄山 | 0.67 | 0.69 | 0.48 | 0.79 | |||
| 盐城 | 0.37 | 0.44 | 0.73 | 0.40 | 滁州 | 0.61 | 0.35 | 0.65 | 0.64 | |||
| 安庆 | 0.57 | 0.33 | 0.70 | 0.39 | 池州 | 0.72 | 0.47 | 0.62 | 0.61 | |||
| 水平拓展型 | 扬州 | 0.59 | 0.46 | 0.60 | 0.53 | 宣城 | 0.82 | 0.41 | 0.75 | 0.66 | ||
| 镇江 | 0.53 | 0.49 | 0.47 | 0.69 | 六安 | 0.76 | 0.34 | 0.60 | 0.47 |
表2 城市创新特征变量Table 2 Descriptive statistics of variables |
| 变量 | 变量符号 | 变量描述 |
| 技术生长 | Gro | 技术是否形成比较优势 |
| 内生结构 | PR | 技术全局特征值 |
| CC | 技术模块特征值 | |
| BC | 技术链式特征值 | |
| HHI | 技术聚合特征值 | |
| 创新主体规模 | Stu | 普通高等学校在校人数/人 |
| Emp | 年末科技从业人数/人 | |
| Ent | 工厂和企业数/个 | |
| 创新环境 | Fin | 地区财政科技支出 |
| FDI | 外商直接投资/万美元 | |
| UE | 城镇私营单位就业人员/万人 | |
| 控制变量 | ReDen | 技术关联密度 |
| logGDP | 国内生产总值/亿元 | |
| logPop | 年末户籍人口数/万人 |
表3 模型回归结果Table 3 Results of nonlinear logistic regression analysis |
| 变量类型 | 模型(1) | 模型(2) | 模型(3) | 模型(4) | 模型(5) |
| 注:*** P<0.01,** P<0.05,所有回归均使用稳健标准误,括号内为t值;变量含义见表2;−表示该自变量不纳入模型中进行回归。 | |||||
| HHI | − ( | − | − | − | − ( |
| HHI 2 | ( | − | − | − | − |
| BC | − | − ( | − | − | − ( |
| BC 2 | − | ( | − | − | − |
| CC | − | − | ( | − | ( |
| CC 2 | − | − | − ( | − | − |
| PR | − | − | − | ( | ( |
| PR 2 | − | − | − | − ( | − |
| ReDen | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( |
| logGDP | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( |
| logPop | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( |
| Stu | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( |
| Emp | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( |
| Ent | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( |
| Fin | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( |
| FDI | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( |
| UE | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( |
| 常数项 | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( |
表4 分组模型回归结果Table 4 Nonlinear logistic regression analysis |
| 变量类型 | Stu分组 | Emp分组 | Ent分组 | Fin分组 | |||||||
| 第一组 | 第二组 | 第一组 | 第二组 | 第一组 | 第二组 | 第一组 | 第二组 | ||||
| 注:所选城市按从高到低排序,平均分为2组变量;*** P<0.01, ** P<0.05, * P<0.1,括号内为t值;变量含义见表2。 | |||||||||||
| HHI | − ( | − ( | ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | |||
| BC | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | |||
| CC | ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | |||
| PR | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | |||
| ReDen | ( | ( | − ( | ( | − ( | ( | − ( | ( | |||
| logGDP | − ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | |||
| logPop | ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | |||
| Stu | − ( | ( | ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | ( | ( | |||
| Emp | − ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | |||
| Ent | ( | − ( | − ( | ( | − ( | ( | − ( | − ( | |||
| Fin | − ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | |||
| FDI | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | |||
| UE | ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | − ( | |||
| 常数项 | − ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | |||
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