Research on Impact of Design Innovation Factors on Pure Technical Efficiency of Manufacturing Innovation

Abstract

Context: Improving the pure technical efficiency in manufacturing innovation is crucial to achieving sustainable development in the manufacturing industry. Objective: We aimed to explore the impact of design innovation factors on the pure technical efficiency of manufacturing innovation from 2011 to 2021, with industrial enterprises above the designated size in Zhejiang Province, China, taken as the research object. Method: The super-efficiency DEA model was used to calculate the pure technical efficiency of manufacturing innovation. Literature research, combined with the Pearson correlation coefficient, was employed to obtain five design innovation factors, including the number of policy regulations, growth rate of designers, number of design enterprises, number of patents granted, and number of design awards at the provincial level or above. Results: Based on the Tobit model, the influence of design innovation factors on the pure technical efficiency in manufacturing innovation was analyzed and demonstrated. Except for the number of policy regulations and growth rate of designers, the other three factors had a significant positive impact on the pure technical efficiency of manufacturing innovation. In general, design innovation exerts positive effects on the growth of pure technical efficiency. Conclusions: The results of this study provide helpful insights into the promotion of sustainable development in the manufacturing industry through design innovation.