Local Inter-Governmental Cooperation in Regional Innovation in China: Historical Evolution and Logic of Change

Abstract

Under the innovation-driven development strategy, inter-governmental cooperation in regional innovation has proliferated, but the historical change logic of local government participation in innovation cooperation has not been explained yet. Based on the theoretical paradigm of historical institutionalism, this paper attempts to construct a "structure-history-action" analytical framework for local government participation in innovation cooperation. Based on the theoretical paradigm of historical institutionalism, this paper attempts to construct a "structure-history-action" analytical framework for inter-governmental cooperation in regional innovation. In the course of more than forty years of change, inter-governmental cooperation in regional innovation in China can be divided into four stages. In the course of more than forty years of change, inter-governmental cooperation in regional innovation in China can be divided into four stages. Firstly, it has been driven by structural conditions in macro-institutional change; secondly, 'path dependence' Firstly, it has been driven by structural conditions in macro-institutional change; secondly, 'path dependence' caused by political and cultural genes, administrative institutional traditions and the 'key nodes' that drive change. Finally, the perceptions and interests of local governments, as micro-actors, have profoundly shaped the direction of change. On this basis, the development path of inter- governmental cooperation in regional innovation is proposed: strengthening the top-level design of innovation cooperation and optimizing.