Technology inflow following high-speed railway: Evidence from Chinese cities

Abstract

Urban development thrives from technology inflows, which refers to the transfer of high-value technology from various cities to local recipients. The asymmetry of technical information—rooted in the tacit knowledge inherent in technology—mandates that technology transfer is heavily dependent on interactions and communication among talented individuals. This study examines the effect of China's high-speed railway (HSR) on technology inflow, with an emphasis on talent interaction in the technology transfer process. The findings suggest that HSR mitigates cross-city commuting costs and facilitates face-to-face interactions between talent, thereby fostering an increase in technology inflows to various cities. “Talent” use HSR to transfer knowledge to cities teeming with such talent resources. Concurrently, areas with robust intellectual property rights protection witness an upsurge in intercity technology transfer via HSR. This study elucidates the macro-mechanism of urban technology flow from the perspective of public transportation offering valuable insights for technology market infrastructure and services.