Does cooperation stimulate firms' eco-innovation? Firm-level evidence from China

Firms' collaborative activities have created increasing opportunities for eco-innovation in modern society. Based on unbalanced panel data from the Chinese National Innovation Survey between 2011 and 2015, this paper explored the influences of different modes of cooperation, i.e., vertical cooperation, horizontal cooperation, and mixed cooperation, on the eco-innovation of Chinese manufacturing firms. The results indicated that three types of cooperation all had positive and statistically significant effects on the firms' eco-innovation, and mixed cooperation had promoted eco-innovation more dramatically. The extent of such impacts may vary depending on the heterogeneity of the characteristic of enterprises. We also verified that knowledge spillovers from cooperative partners have played a mediating role between cooperation and eco-innovation. Our results suggest the potential benefits of diversified collaborative activities and appropriate intellectual property protection for firms' eco-innovation in China.

Automated summary

This paper examines the impact of different modes of cooperation on eco-innovation in Chinese manufacturing firms using data from the Chinese National Innovation Survey. The results show that all three types of cooperation (vertical, horizontal, mixed) have a positive and significant effect on eco-innovation, with mixed cooperation having the strongest impact. Knowledge spillovers from cooperative partners mediate the relationship between cooperation and eco-innovation. These findings highlight the importance of diversified collaborative activities and intellectual property protection for eco-innovation in China.