Evaluation of development level and economic contribution ratio of science and technology innovation in eastern China

Scientific and technological (S&T) innovation is the key driving factor for economic development and social progress. The eastern part of China is the barycenter of the Chinese economic map and has one of the highest economic growth rates in the world. Eastern China's growth pattern has a tremendous impact on the structure of world economy. The paper evaluates the development level and economic contribution ratio of S&T innovation in all provincial regions of eastern China from 2013 to 2015. The results show that the levels and ratios in regions have significant differences. Moreover, the current economic growth primarily relies on capital investment, and the contributions of S&T are relatively limited. Thus, in future developments, the government needs to emphasize S&T innovation as a key driver of economic growth to ensure the balanced growth of the entire region.