Effect of digitalization on knowledge transfer from universities to enterprises: Evidence from postdoctoral workstation of Chinese enterprises

The research aims to examine how digitalization affects knowledge transfer from universities to enterprises (UEKT), the differences affected by digitalization in enterprises with different ownership and industries, and the role of postdoctoral workstation quality between digitalization and UEKT. Based on the cross-layer matching data of China's provincial and listed enterprises (enterprises with the postdoctoral workstation during the sample period) from 2011 to 2016, we use the lasso method to screen indicators to measure the digitalization, the grouping regression method to test the effects of digitalization on UEKT, and the mediating effect method to verify the mediator role of postdoctoral workstations quality. We find that the postdoctoral workstation has built a bridge for knowledge transfer between universities and enterprises. Digitalization promotes the transfer of universities' knowledge to enterprises, and postdoctoral workstation quality can deliver the role of digitalization on UEKT. Digitalization plays heterogeneous roles in enterprises with different ownerships or industries. In addition, for knowledge transfer, we provide a novelty idea to achieve limited measurement on the unobservable UEKT (such as formal or informal communication). To reveal the connotation of digitalization more comprehensively, we filter indicators to measure digitalization from more dimensions. The analysis of the process mechanism reveals how digitalization affects UEKT and the role of postdoctoral workstation quality.

Automated summary

This research examines the impact of digitalization on knowledge transfer from universities to enterprises (UEKT), the differences in digitalization effects on enterprises with different ownership and industries, and the role of postdoctoral workstation quality between digitalization and UEKT. The study finds that postdoctoral workstations serve as a bridge for knowledge transfer between universities and enterprises. Digitalization promotes knowledge transfer from universities to enterprises, and the quality of postdoctoral workstations mediates the effects of digitalization on UEKT. Digitalization has heterogeneous effects in enterprises with different ownership or industries. In addition, the study provides a novel approach to measure unobservable UEKT and filters indicators to comprehensively measure digitalization.