Innovative Pilot Research Articles

Making an Impact with E.M.P.A.C.T. Engage, Mentor Prepare, Advocate, Cultivate, and Teach: An Innovative Pilot Mentoring Program Evaluation for Students Underrepresented in Medicine.

Medicine has yet to increase the representation of historically excluded persons in medicine to reflect the general population. The lack of support and guidance in the medical training of these individuals is a significant contributor to this disparity. The Engage, Mentor, Prepare, Advocate for, Cultivate, and Teach (EMPACT) Mentoring program was created to address this problem by providing support for learners who are historically underrepresented in medicine (URiM) as they progress through medical school. The EMPACT Pilot Program was formed and conducted during the 2019-2020 academic year. A total of 19 EMPACT mentorship groups were created, each consisting of two mentors and four medical student mentees. Additionally, four professional development workshops were held along with a final Wrap-up and Awards event. Pre and post pilot program surveys along with surveys after each workshop and focus groups were conducted with a random selection of program participants. When compared to data from before and after the implementation of the EMPACT program, there were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in EMPACT mentees reporting they agree or strongly agree they felt ready to handle their clinical rotations (28% to 65%), felt the need to have an advocate (85% to 47%), possessed insight on day-to-day activities of an attending (26% to 56%) and felt a sense of community (79% to 94%). Mentors revealed an increase in their awareness of the concepts of microaggressions and imposter phenomenon. Finally, both groups felt an increase in their support system and sense of community at the school of medicine. Despite COVID-19 limitations, the EMPACT program met its goals. We effectively supported URiM medical students through mentorship, networking, and community.

Enhancing export product quality through innovative cities: A firm-level quasi-natural experiment in China

China plays a significant role in the global product supply chain through its exports. To remain competitive, Chinese firms need to manufacture products cost-effectively. Revamping innovative cities can contribute to this goal, but empirical evidence in this area is limited. Therefore, this paper scrutinizes the innovative city pilot policy’s consequences on firms’ export performance and product quality. We employ the time-varying Difference in Difference (DID) model and harness a comprehensive firm-by-product level database to estimate the co-movement between the pilot intervention and the performance of the export product. Based on the findings, we unveil that a smart intervened city can significantly boost firms’ export product quality, which still holds after multiple robustness checks. Furthermore, innovative cities heighten the quality of the manufactured products when we consider firm-level (i.e., private, foreign, and ordinary trade enterprises), industry-level (i.e., low-polluting, capital-intensive, and technology-intensive industries), and regional (i.e., Middle, and Western regions) heterogeneities. In addition, the intervened smart city strategy impacts the efficacy of export product quality through policy and innovation-driven effects. Over and above, policymakers and experts should support state-of-the-art ideas while considering local conditions, providing guidance for decision-making in China’s innovative development strategy.

Towards sustainable emergence transportation system for maternal and new born: Lessons from the m-mama innovative pilot program in Shinyanga, Tanzania.

Maternal mortality comprises about 10% of all deaths among women of reproductive age (15-49 years). More than 90% of such deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In this study, we aimed to document lessons learnt and best practices toward sustainability of the m-mama program for reducing maternal and newborn mortality in Tanzania. We conducted a qualitative study from February to March 2022 in Kahama and Kishapu district councils of Shinyanga region. A total of 20 Key Informant Interviews (KII) and four Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted among key stakeholders. The participants included implementing partners and beneficiaries, Community Care groups (CCGs) facilitators, health facility staff, drivers and dispatchers. We gathered data on their experience with the program, services offered, and recommendations to improve program sustainability. We based the discussion of our findings on the integrated sustainability framework (ISF). Thematic analysis was conducted to summarize the results. To ensure the sustainability of the program, these were recommended. First, active involvement of the government to complement community efforts, through the provision and maintenance of resources including a timely and inclusive budget, dedicated staff, infrastructure development and maintenance. Secondly, support from different stakeholders through a well-coordinated partnership with the government and local facilities. Third, continued capacity building for implementers, health care workers (HCWs) and community health workers (CHWs) and community awareness to increase program trust and services utilization. Dissemination and sharing of evidence and lesson learnt from successful program activities and close monitoring of implemented activities is necessary to ensure smooth, well-coordinated delivery of proposed strategies. Considering the temporality of the external funding, for successful implementation of the program, we propose a package of three key actions; first, strengthening government ownership and engagement at an earlier stage, secondly, promoting community awareness and commitment and lastly, maintaining a well-coordinated multi-stakeholder' involvement during program implementation.

A Study on the Effect of Innovation-Driven Policies on Industrial Pollution Reduction: Evidence from 276 Cities in China

The societal effects of industrial pollution have spurred heated debates, but more research into the influence and internal mechanism of innovative pilot city policies (IPCPs) on industrial emissions is needed. Using panel data from 276 Chinese cities between 2004 and 2018, the study employs a multi-period difference-in-differences model to explore the effects and mechanisms of pilot policies on industrial SO2 emissions, with a specific focus on how they can be mitigated by innovative techniques. The results indicate that (1) the Chinese innovative pilot city policies (CIPCPs) significantly reduced emissions in urban areas; (2) the concentration of talent, innovation policy, venture capital, and technology plays a pivotal role; and (3) the SO2 reduction effects are more pronounced in larger cities, such as super-large, mega-, and first-tier cities in the southeast, and in cities with a high market potential. This study provides empirical evidence to support the promotion of sustainable economic and social development, the resolution of environmental pollution problems, and the enhancement of public health.

Interdisciplinary Approach to Developing Nicotine Dependence Treatment Order Set: An Innovative Pilot Implementation

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable diseases and mortality in the United States. State quitline is an evidence-based tobacco cessation intervention for people who smoke. However, patients’ referral to quitline has been low. To address this gap in practice, we collected stakeholder feedback and engaged in an interdisciplinary and collaborative effort to create a new nicotine dependence treatment referral system using our electronic health record-based order sets. The project was conducted in 3 phases: (1) development process, (2) dissemination and approval from practice leaders, and (3) dissemination to clinicians. With the stakeholder feedback, we updated the existing nicotine dependence order set (NDO) by including links to the state quitline and local community resources targeting the social determinants of health. We created a brief educational material on the new NDO for dissemination. We measured the intention to use, implementation outcomes, acceptance, appropriateness, and feasibility of the new NDO. In the prepresentation survey, although 81% of the participants from the leadership and 77% from the clinician groups reported using the order set in general, only 13% from the leadership and 10% from the clinician group used the existing NDO. In the postpresentation survey, nearly 100% of the leadership and clinician respondents intended to use the new NDO in their practices. Acceptance (leadership vs clinicians: 82% vs 100%), appropriateness (leadership vs clinicians: 82% vs 95%), and feasibility (leadership vs clinicians: 82% vs 100%) were high in the postpresentation survey. Despite the positive reception to the new NDO, future research is needed to test the adoption, sustainability, and effectiveness of the NDO in addressing smoking cessation outcomes.

Innovative city pilot policies, absorptive capacity, and urban total factor productivity: a difference-in-differences approach

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of innovative city pilot policies (ICPP) on urban total factor productivity (TFP) and explores the mediating role of absorptive capacity in the context of innovative cities pilot policies in China. Based on panel data of 281 cities in China during 2006–2018, we introduce a difference-in-differences approach to analyse whether ICPP have a facilitating effect on urban TFP. The results of the study are as follows. (1) ICPP significantly contribute to urban TFP. (2) The mediating effect shows that the construction of innovative cities can enhance the absorptive capacity of cities and then improve TFP. (3) There is significant heterogeneity in the construction of innovative cities with different urban forms.

National innovative city and green technology progress: empirical evidence from China.

In this paper, a quasi-natural experiment of national innovative city pilot policy (NICPP) is carried out to investigate the impact of the NICPP on green technology innovation (GTI) and its intrinsic mechanism with the method of difference-in-differences. It is found that the NICPP significantly enhances GTI, and there is a certain lag and persistence in this effect. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the higher the administrative level and the more the geographical advantages of NICPP, the more obvious the driving effect of GTI. The mechanism test shows that the NICPP has an effect on the GTI through three channels: innovation factor input, agglomeration effect of science and technology talent, and entrepreneurial vitality empowerment. The findings of this study provide policy insights for further optimizing the construction of innovative cities and then promoting GTI development, ultimately realizing green dynamics transformation and high-quality development of China's economy.

The impact of innovation-driven policies on innovation factor mismatch: empirical evidence from national innovation-driven city pilot policies

Factor mismatch has seriously restricted the high-quality development of China’s economy. In order to solve the problem of unreasonable factor allocation in the Chinese economy, this paper takes the innovative pilot cities implemented by the Chinese government as a quasi-natural experiment to study its impact on innovation factor mismatch. The results show that: (1) the implementation of innovation-driven policies significantly improves the mismatch of innovation factors, which still holds after a series of robustness tests and endogeneity tests; (2) For non-state-owned enterprises, non-labor-intensive enterprises and the eastern region, the implementation of innovation-driven policies can better improve the mismatch of innovation factors. Furthermore, this paper finds that the implementation of innovation-driven policies can improve the mismatch index of high-skilled R&D personnel and the capital mismatch index of basic research and applied research. (3) Innovation-driven policies improve the mismatch of innovation factors by strengthening the flow of factors and promoting the upgrading of industrial structure.

Design and Implementation of Renewable Hydrogen-Based System for Social Housing Decarbonization

The energy transition towards a decarbonized economy requires focused and ambitious policies that must be taken through the agreement of governments, stakeholders, and private companies. The intermittency of renewable energy sources (RES) makes it necessary to implement energy storage systems (ESS) that allow for an uninterrupted supply of low-carbon power. Energy generation and consumption activities are responsible for 75% of global CO2 emissions. Particularly, energy use in commercial and residential buildings is the third major contributor after industry and agricultural activities. In this context, the SUDOE ENERGY PUSH project proposes an innovative pilot plant combining RES and hydrogen technologies for social housing decarbonization and self-sufficiency. The preliminary simulations results in savings up to 7,000 kWh per year of primary energy from the grid, 1,000 kg per year of CO2 emissions while consuming 100% clean electricity and more than 600 € per year in electricity bills

Impact of Innovative City Pilot Policy on Industrial Structure Upgrading in China

Urban innovation has been highly regarded as a modern urban model that drives sustainable urban development by synthesizing knowledge innovation and technological innovation in industrial processes. As such, numerous studies have emerged to investigate the impact of the innovative city pilot policy (ICP), yet the impact of the ICP on industrial structure upgrading has not been explicitly studied. To address the research gap, this study utilizes the ICP in China as a quasi-natural experiment and investigates the impact of the ICP on industrial structure upgrading in Chinese cities. We apply a DID model estimation on a panel dataset of 284 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2007 to 2019. The results indicate that the innovative city pilot policy greatly helps to upgrade the industrial structure in pilot cities, with the upgrading outcome particularly evident in large and non-natural resource-based cities. Mechanism analyses further reveal three channels via which the ICP promotes industrial structure upgrading, specifically by improving innovation capacity, boosting labor clustering, and lowering pollutant emissions. The results of this study carry significant policy implications for China in building a sustainable and modernized economic system and for other emerging nations in seeking economic transformation and industrial structure upgrading.

Convergence or dispersion? The impact of China's innovative city pilot policy on regional innovation differences.

Although constructing innovative cities stimulates innovation, it may further widen regional innovation differences. Based on panel data from 275 cities in China from 2003 to 2020, the difference-in-differences method was used to examine the impact of the innovative city pilot policy on urban innovation convergence. The study finds that the pilot policy not only improves the innovation level of cities (basic effect) but also promotes innovation convergence among pilot cities (convergence effect). However, in the short-term, the policy slows the innovation convergence of the entire region. The results reveal the innovative city policy's multiple effects and dual character and capture the spatial spillover and regional heterogeneity of policy impact, highlighting the risk of further marginalizing some cities. This study supplements the evidence that government intervention affects regional innovation patterns based on the place-based innovation policy in China, providing theoretical support for expanding the follow-up pilot scope and the coordinated development of regional innovation.

Advances in the management and translocation methodology of the endangered mollusk Patella ferruginea in artificial habitats of port infrastructures: implications for its conservation

The limpet (Patella ferruginea), endemic to the western Mediterranean, is the most endangered intertidal mollusk listed in the Habitats Directive (EU). The translocation methodology of this species is a scientific challenge faced by those port infrastructures – where there are established breeding subpopulations - that may be subject to emergency works, restoration, or extension of breakwaters. This study presents the results of an innovative two-phase pilot project (P1A/B and P2), involving the legally authorized translocation of individuals of this species obtained in three relocation experiments in the Marina of Puerto José Banús (Málaga) in July 2021 (phase 1: P1A and B) and May 2022 (phase 2: P2) (study period: July 2021-October 2022). The specimens translocated in both phases were from the same port except for those of P1B, which came from the Marbella Marina as an exceptional case. These translocations were undertaken on concrete breakwater tetrapod units. We show that the somewhat forced, slow and unregulated extraction of specimens to be translocated during the first experiment of the P1A pilot project was the main cause of mortality, as it generated an important exhaustion of the fixation musculature, which resulted in a low survival (66%) after the first month of transfer, whereas during the same period of time. In the subsequent experiments (where the problem was methodologically corrected, a fast extraction technique -less than 5 seconds-, regulated and without injuries), in P1B was 100%, in P2 with cage was 93.3%, and, in P2 without cage it was 83.3%, which reflected an improvement in translocation methodology. The results of this research are compared according to the descriptors of success and failure of each protocol in order to observe the differences and thus enable their replicability.

Do Urban Innovation Policies Reduce Carbon Emission? Empirical Evidence from Chinese Cities with DID

The Chinese government launched the Pilot Scheme of National Innovative Cities in 2008, and it has continued to expand the scope of the program in order to achieve more high-quality and sustainable development. This pilot scheme encourages scientific and technological innovations to solve the problems of urban development against the background of climate change by promoting the sustainable transformation and upgrading of the urban economy. This article attempts to examine whether the innovative city pilot helps improve the city’s carbon emissions. Moreover, through which mechanisms does the pilot affect the carbon emissions of Chinese cities? The authors use the Pilot Scheme of National Innovative Cities as a quasi-natural experiment and apply the difference-in-difference (DID) method to investigate the impact of innovative city pilot policy on the carbon emissions of pilot cities and the underlying mechanisms.

An Empirical Analysis of the Synergistic Effect of Urban Pilot Policies in China

The strengthening of urban innovation capacity has emerged as the main force behind the promotion of the high-quality development in China because it is a significant carrier of regional innovation. This work uses the multi-time point difference approach to study the synergistic effect, mechanism, and heterogeneity among the pilot policies of national innovation city, low-carbon city and smart city based on the panel data of 282 cities from 2001 to 2016. The findings demonstrate that (1) The national innovative city pilot policies, low-carbon city pilot policies, and smart city pilot policies have a significant effect on the improvement of urban innovation and show a synergistic effect. (2) With the help of government investment in science and technology and the construction of an innovation platform, the pilot policies of smart cities and innovative cities show a superposition effect; in addition, through the upgrading of industrial structure, the green technology innovation, public participation, low-carbon urban pilot policy, and the innovative city present the supplementary effect. (3) From the perspective of heterogeneity, the superposition and supplementary effects of lower administrative level cities are better. The effect of policy synergy overlay is the largest in the eastern region, whereas the effect of policy synergy supplement is stronger in the eastern and western regions than in the central region. The robustness test supports the conclusion of this paper. This paper analyzes the collaborative innovation effect of urban pilot policies, which can provide ideas for the combination design of policy tools.

School of social work in partnership with community: finding areas for potential collaboration in service delivery

ABSTRACT In seeking to bridge the micro-macro divide in social work education, we conceptualized, developed, and initiated an innovative university-community partnership-based pilot internship program over a two-year period with four social work student interns placed within the cross-section of local government, social service agencies and community. Our goal was to work within the tripartite context to identify gaps in service delivery in the communities and support local organizations in addressing the gaps. The social problems identified through the internship program revealed service gaps in the areas of substance abuse treatment, intimate partner violence, parenting support, poverty alleviation and services for clients of color and individuals presenting with juvenile delinquency issues. While lack of student preparedness, agency policies, cost and lack of a clear understanding of the internship structure and goals constituted some barriers, the first year of the pilot’s implementation provided a strong case for university-community engagement and resulted in the creation of a comprehensive program structure to guide the execution of this internship model in future.

Can dual pilot policy of innovative city and low carbon city promote green lifestyle transformation of residents？

Green lifestyle transformation is the key to a thoroughgoing shift to sustainability in terms of economic and social development and an essential part of urban carbon emission reduction to achieve carbon peaking. To address climate change and achieve the high-quality effect, the Chinese government started pilot projects in 2008 and 2010, respectively, and has been expanding their scope, so it is crucial to accurately assess the carbon reduction effects of urban pilot projects on residents' lives and the synergy between various different policies. Based on panel data of 285 cities in China from 2009 to 2019, the induced effects of dual pilot policies for low-carbon cities and innovative cities (dual pilot policies) on residents' low-carbon choices are examined with the help of double-difference method, and their mechanisms of action and heterogeneity are further analyzed. The results show that: ①the dual pilot policy is more effective in promoting green lifestyle changes among residents than non dual pilot cities, and this such effect is positively correlated with time; ② the dual pilot policy has a stronger role in promoting green lifestyles than the single pilot innovative city and the single pilot low-carbon city, and the two policies have synergistic effects. In terms of the sequence of pilot projects, the quality of green lifestyles of city residents is significantly improved by implementing the low-carbon pilot first and then the innovative city pilot policy. ③As for the influence mechanism, the dual pilot policy mainly encourages residents to adopt a more environmentally friendly lifestyle by optimizing the energy consumption structure rather than through the intermediary mechanism of expanding the supply of environmentally friendly goods; ④The impact of the dual pilot policy on residents' green lifestyles is regionally heterogeneous, with the promotion effect being more pronounced in eastern and central cities and heating cities in the north. To stimulate low-carbon-oriented urban green development practices, we should summarize and promote pilot experiences, adopt differentiated strategies according to local conditions, pay attention to optimizing residents' energy consumption structure, and strengthen regional green innovation cooperation to encourage the coordination and fusion of urban “green” and “innovation".

Does innovative city construction improve urban carbon unlocking efficiency? Evidence from China

As the implementation carrier of innovative development, innovative city construction provides a new impetus and direction for China's pollution reduction and carbon reduction effort. Exploring the carbon unlocking effect of the national innovative city pilot policy (NICPP) would help accelerate the process of urban carbon neutralization and provide decision support for solving the dilemma of urban economic development and environmental protection. Based on the panel data of 283 cities from 2006 to 2020, this paper takes the NICPP as a quasi-natural experiment, constructs a progressive difference-in-difference (DID) model to verify its impact on the carbon unlocking efficiency (CUE), and further analyzes its transmission mechanism, heterogeneity effect and spatial spillover effect. The results show that: (1) The NICPP can significantly improve the urban CUE, which is still valid after a series of robustness tests. (2) The estimation results of mediating effect show that the NICPP can improve the CUE by promoting technological innovation of enterprises, strengthening the guidance of government strategy and promoting the transformation of social and economic development. (3) The promotion effect of the NICPP on the CUE has a negative spillover on the surrounding cities. (4) Heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of the NICPP on the CUE shows a decreasing spatial pattern from east to west, and the promotion effect on cities with different urban areas shows an inverted U-shaped feature. The larger the population size, the stronger the promotion effect of NICPP on the CUE. This study provides empirical support for the continuous promotion of the NICPP and the acceleration of carbon unlocking to promote the implementation of the “dual carbon (carbon peak and neutrality)” strategy.

Can Innovation-Driven Policy Reduce China’s Carbon Emission Intensity?—A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on the National Innovative City Pilot Policy

Innovation and carbon neutrality are hot topics nowadays and are important issues related to development quality, efficiency, and long-term sustainability. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the impact of innovation-driven policy on reducing carbon emission intensity. Using urban panel data from 2003 to 2018, this paper constructed a time-varying difference-in-difference model based on the natural experiment of national innovative city pilot policy and systematically examined the specific effects and mechanisms of innovation-driven policy on reducing carbon emission intensity. It was found that the innovation-driven policy represented by the national innovative city pilot policy can significantly reduce the carbon emission intensity in China, and this result was still valid after various robustness tests. The mechanism analysis showed that a reduction in carbon emission intensity was mainly achieved by innovation-driven promotion of green production technology progress and improvements in energy use efficiency. Further heterogeneity analysis showed that the policy had a more significant carbon reduction effect in cities with a strong innovation capability, large size, and low level of industrial structure. These research conclusions provide useful references for further understanding of the economic and social benefits of innovation-driven policy and effectively unleashing the carbon emission reduction effects of innovation-driven policy and promoting sustainable development.

Does regional innovation policy encourage firm indigenous innovation? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of the pilot project of innovative cities in China

ABSTRACT Whether regional innovation policy can stimulate firms’ indigenous innovation is an essential issue of common concern for policymakers and scholars. Treating the pilot project of innovative cities as a quasi-natural experiment and using firm-level data from 2006 to 2013, this paper employs the difference-in-differences method to quantify the influence of innovative cities’ policy on enterprise indigenous innovation. We found that the innovative city pilot policy significantly stimulates firms’ indigenous innovation and this impact is heterogeneous at the industry and firm levels. In terms of industry heterogeneity, the innovative city pilot policy increases the number of patent filings in industries with high capital intensity; in terms of firm heterogeneity, the innovative city pilot policy stimulates the number of patent filings in both large and non-SOE enterprises. This policy mainly promotes high-quality indigenous innovation in firms. The test of the impact mechanism reveals that government subsidy and market competition are critical paths through which innovation city pilot policy influence enterprises’ indigenous innovation activities. The research in this paper reveals the micro effects of regional innovation policy and points out the direction for further promoting innovation city pilot work and formulating regional innovation policy.

Examining the Promotional Effect and Mechanism of Innovative City Pilot Policy on City Brand Development

This study used Staggered DID on the panel data of 254 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2016 to explore the promotion effect and mechanism of innovative city pilot policy on urban brand development. The research shows that compared with cities without the pilot policy, the construction of innovative cities can increase the city brand value by 10% and has significantly promoted eastern, non-central cities with large populations and higher levels of science and education. Innovative city pilot policy can promote city brand development through cultural inheritance and innovation and entrepreneurship mechanisms. The results indicate that innovative city pilot policy has a significant spatial spillover effect on city brand development. Our findings add to the field of city brand evaluation by providing policy suggestions and experiential references for evaluating city brand development.