Innovation dynamics and club convergence in innovation activity in China: A temporal perspective

Abstract

We examine the convergence of innovation activity across Chinese provinces and untangle how such activity has evolved between 1987 and 2020. Our study reveals which factors matter for innovation and how the significance and relative importance of different factors changed over time. To capture this evolution, we distinguish between three key time periods and identify the existence of temporal effects. We further find that depending on the time‐period, regional innovation activity in China has developed in at least three innovation convergence clubs. We offer useful insights, with theory and policy implications, of the roots of regional innovation convergence and the causes of geographical disparities in China's innovation activity.