Western Region Research Articles

Institutional efforts and regional distribution of climate-smart agriculture initiatives in Ghana

Mapping climate-smart agriculture (CSA) initiatives enable countries to account for emissions and develop adaptation measures. While discourse on CSA implementation exists, developing countries lack empirical evidence to support intervention design. This study analyzes actor networks and assesses social benefits through a comprehensive review of 153 CSA projects across Ghana's 16 regions from 1971 to 2023. The Northern region hosted the highest concentration (17%) of CSA projects, followed by Upper West, Upper East, Bono, Eastern, and Ashanti regions, primarily focusing on drought adaptation. Crop production emerged as the dominant system (56%), with governmental entities leading 80.4% of initiatives. Regional variations show post-harvest loss reduction as the primary aim in southern regions, while forestry and aquaculture initiatives concentrate in Eastern and Western regions to address flood vulnerability in degraded landscapes. The study reveals spatial and temporal patterns in Ghana's CSA implementation, identifying gaps in coverage and stakeholder participation. These findings provide an evidence base for policymakers to optimize resource allocation, strengthen underserved regions' climate resilience, and align CSA initiatives with national sustainable development goals.

THE EFFECT OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STRENGTH ON EMPLOYEES' INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOR: BASED ON RESOURCE PRESERVATION THEORY AND INNOVATION PATH MODEL

This study investigates the impact of human resource management (HRM) intensity on employee innovation behavior in technology companies located in the western and southwestern regions of China. The research specifically examines how psychological safety and psychological capital mediate the relationship between HRM practices and innovation behavior, drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the Innovative Path Model. We employed a quantitative research methodology, administering structured surveys to employees in selected technology firms to collect data. The study focuses on HRM as the independent variable, with psychological safety and psychological capital serving as mediators, and employee innovation behavior as the dependent variable. The findings suggest that robust HRM practices contribute to creating a supportive environment that fosters psychological resources, which in turn enhances innovation behavior among employees. This study highlights the critical role of HRM in promoting innovation within technology firms in China's western and southwestern regions. By prioritizing HRM strategies that enhance psychological safety and capital, companies can effectively stimulate innovative behaviors, thereby gaining a competitive edge in the industry.

An Autoethnographic Perspective on Scholarly Impact, Citation Politics, and North–South Power Dynamics

ABSTRACT Citations signal the significance and impact of publication outputs, conferring prestige within an academic prestige economy. The longstanding academic mandate to ‘publish or perish’ has been married with the modern expectation to ‘demonstrate impact or perish,’ reflecting an evolution in scholarly priorities and imposing a ‘double burden’ on scholars, particularly on early-career researchers and marginalised voices. I examine factors influencing citation metrics through an autoethnographic lens, situating them within my subjective experiences and exploring their broader implications. Drawing on my research portfolio from 2016 to 2022, which focuses on Nigerian society, I discuss how research location and other contextual factors shape scholarly impact and citation metrics. Disparities in citation rates between Western and non-Western regions reflect unequal power, resources, and recognition distributions. I assess the interaction between citation metrics and the significance of my research portfolio, which includes five empirical and two conceptual peer-reviewed articles. While I reflect on my delayed recognition of these citation metrics and impact dynamics after earning my doctorate, I advocate for improved education on these factors in social science graduate curricula. Citations are not mere appendages: they are the lifeblood coursing through the veins of academia’s ecosystem.

ANALYSIS OF EFFICIENCY EVALUATION AND INFLUENCING FACTORS OF FISCAL INVESTMENT IN CHINESE HIGHER EDUCATION

This study employs the Malmquist index and Tobit regression models to evaluate the dynamics and regional disparities in higher education fiscal investment efficiency, based on comprehensive analyses of panel data from 31 provincial administrative units in China from 2002 to 2021. Research findings reveal that improvements in technical efficiency are crucial for the Chinese government to enhance investment efficiency, with significant regional variations. The Eastern region excels in technical efficiency and technological progress, while the Central and Western regions lag. Tobit regression analysis indicates that the educational level of faculty, student-faculty ratio, and research investment intensity significantly positively influence efficiency. In contrast, the negative impacts of government fiscal capacity, per-student educational expenditure index, and faculty title structure highlight structural issues in higher education investment. Based on these findings, we propose some recommendations for government policy amendments that aim to strengthen technological innovation and optimal resource allocation, enhance teacher quality and scientific research investment, encourage the integration of educational resources with urban development, and establish a scientific evaluation and monitoring mechanism to boost the efficiency of fiscal investment in higher education and foster balanced regional development.

外商直接投资对区域经济发展的影响 – 中国山东省的东西部地区差异比较 –

外商直接投资对区域经济发展的影响 – 中国山东省的东西部地区差异比较 –

Detection of spatiotemporal changes in eco-environmental quality based on RSEI and SG filtering and its driving force analysis: a case study in Sichuan Province, China.

Landsat images were extracted using Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and optimized by Savitzky-Golay (SG) filtering. The Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) method was used to analyze the eco-environmental quality in Sichuan Province in recent 20years. In addition, Theil-Sen median method and Mann-Kendall (MK) test were used to test the change trend of eco-environmental quality. Furthermore, drivers were evaluated by partial correlation analysis, 2D scatter plots, and t tests. The results showed that (1) in the past 20years, the eco-environmental quality of Sichuan Province was on the rise, and the eco-environmental quality in the western region was better than that in the eastern region. The eco-environmental quality was positively correlated with forest and grassland types, and negatively correlated with cultivated land and urban and rural construction land types. (2) The eco-environmental quality of Sichuan Province is linearly correlated with the digital elevation model, but poorly correlated with slope and slope direction. In the range of slope 0° ~ 9° and southeast direction, the eco-environmental quality is the worst. (3) The eco-environmental quality of Sichuan Province was most significantly affected by soil moisture and sunshine hours. The study can help us to understand and assess the health of ecosystems in Sichuan Province, provide a scientific basis for protecting and improving the environment, and guide the formulation and implementation of environmental protection policies.

Toward Sustainable Development: Can Digital Transformation of Industrial Enterprise Drive Carbon Reduction?

Digital technologies have great potential to improve the global environment. To investigate the issue, this research takes Chinese A-share listed industrial firms as the observation object to explore the influence of digital transformation (DT) of industrial enterprise on carbon reduction. The results show that digital transformation can promote carbon reduction and provide strong support for achieving sustainable economic development. Digital transformation reduces carbon emissions through promoting green technology innovation, improving internal control quality, and easing financing constraints. The carbon-reducing role of digital transformation of state-owned industrial companies is more obvious than that of others. The influence of digital transformation on carbon emissions in firms with low energy consumption and low emissions is linear, whereas in firms with high energy consumption and high emissions, the digital transformation has an inverted U-shaped influence. The effect of digital transformation on carbon reduction has area heterogeneity, among which the eastern area in China is the most obvious, followed by the northeast and central regions; the western region is not significant. The research conclusions provide important theoretical support and practical experience for in-depth analysis of the driving mechanism of industrial carbon emission reduction and for seeking policy optimization paths in order to contribute wisdom to promoting sustainable development.

A greener Green Belt? Co-developing exploratory scenarios for contentious peri-urban landscapes

Peri-urban landscapes experience conflicting land-use demands from co-occurring urban–rural drivers. In England, Green Belts are urban containment policies which impact on the peri-urban in isolation from the wider landscapes they cover. Green Belts’ endurance in planning policy have resulted in a contentious and politicised policy arena, under significant scrutiny. Whilst research has shown heterogeneous supplies of ecosystem services existing in Green Belts, it is unclear how and whether Green Belts as landscapes may change in the future beyond their urban containment bounds. Though participatory scenarios have been extensively applied to landscape planning, they have not to English Green Belts. Addressing these gaps, a cross-sector stakeholder workshop was held to co-develop exploratory Green Belt landscape scenarios nationally in 20 years’ time. Three scenarios: “Intensify & Diversify”, “Build-Build-Build” and “Multifunctional” were framed on a governance-functionality axis, identifying future drivers, impacts and assumptions. The scenarios reveal Green Belts are under increased pressure from multiple land-uses, societal demands, and policies, many of which are in conflict, stemming from either a prioritisation or balancing of these demands through varying governance mechanisms. Stakeholder critiques and visions reveal a substantial cross-sector consensus for more (multi)functional Green Belts in England, including as “strategic urban support landscapes” to adapt and mitigate threats associated with climate change. Finally, complementary landscape photo-visualisations of “fictitious” landscapes were produced, aided by artificial intelligence, highlighting the growing potential of these tools to support landscape research. This use of fictional landscapes extends the applicability of our results to peri-urban areas experiencing comparable contexts and drivers, such as Western and Northern European regions.

Improving mechanization conditions or encouraging non-grain crop production? Strategies for mitigating farmland abandonment in China’s mountainous areas

Food security is a critical global issue, requiring that the challenges of farmland abandonment be addressed. As a vital component of agricultural production in China, farmland use is affected by mechanization conditions and the crop cultivation decisions of rural households. With the decreasing economic viability of farmland in China’s mountainous areas, the effects of mechanization conditions and non-grain crop production on farmland abandonment remain controversial. This study developed a theoretical framework and used unique survey data from 2400 rural households in China’s mountainous areas to analyze the relationship between mechanization conditions, non-grain crop production, and farmland abandonment using multiple models, heterogeneity analysis, and factual characteristics analysis. These findings demonstrate that improving mechanization conditions and encouraging non-grain crop production could mitigate farmland abandonment. Non-grain crop production could mitigate abandonment through increasing agricultural labor input, and improving mechanization conditions could inhibit non-grain crop production. Additionally, improving mechanization conditions had a more significant effect on households with higher education level and lower incomes, while encouraging non-grain crop production showed an opposite trend. Both measures had greater effect in the western and low-altitude regions. Therefore, to protect farmland and ensure food security in mountainous areas, it is necessary to continue land consolidation appropriately, actively encourage non-grain crop production, and comprehensively balance the demands of different management objectives.

The correlation evolution and formation mechanism of energy ecological efficiency in China: A spatial network approach

Enhancing energy ecological efficiency is critical for addressing climate change and advancing green, low-carbon economic development. This study utilizes an innovative Super Epsilon-based Measure (EBM) model alongside a gravity model to evaluate the energy ecological efficiency across 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2011 to 2021. This research fills a critical gap in the literature by combining efficiency assessments with complex network analysis, offering a novel perspective on the spatiotemporal evolution and distribution of energy efficiency. The findings reveal that: (1) China's energy ecological efficiency exhibited a fluctuating growth trend over the study period, with significant regional disparities characterized by the pattern “eastern region > central region > western region.” (2) Overall network density, network correlation, and the number of network relationships maintaining relatively stable growth, with a growth rate of 28.93 %, 27.51 % and 28.89 %, respectively. However, the efficiency network's overall connectivity remains low, with fewer correlation lines in the western and central regions and higher network density in the eastern coastal areas. (3) Quantitative analysis using the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) method identifies key factors influencing network formation, such as urban openness, industrialization level, environmental regulation, economic development, geographical proximity, population quality, and resource endowment. Notably, every 1 % increase in the industrial agglomeration level will have a negative impact of −0.248 % on the energy ecological efficiency network. This research fills a gap in understanding the structural and dynamic aspects of China's energy ecological efficiency, offering novel insights that can guide policymakers in formulating strategies to enhance sustainable development.

Study on Room Temperature Oxidation Characteristics of Primary Active Sites in Low-Rank Coal from Western Mining Areas After Vacuum Desorption

ABSTRACT CO exceeding safety limits during room temperature oxidation (RTO) in low-rank coal mines, particularly in western regions, has garnered significant attention. This study systematically investigates the oxidation behavior of primary active sites in low-rank coal and their role in CO generation and safety limit exceedance. A vacuum desorption apparatus combining vacuum drying with cyclic oxidation technology was used to remove moisture and gases from coal samples under low-temperature, high-vacuum conditions, while accumulating oxidation gases. The oxidation process was studied comprehensively through RTO experiments across different coal types, cyclic desorption-oxidation tests on a single coal sample, and analyses using low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, XPS, and in-situ ESR. The results showed that CO and CO₂ concentrations continuously increased during RTO for all coal types. Samples subjected to vacuum desorption exhibited significantly higher oxidation activity, revealing the involvement of previously concealed active sites. As desorption cycles increased, oxidation capacity gradually weakened, with a marked decrease in the initial oxidation rate by Cycle 4, suggesting progressive depletion of exposed active sites. Changes in pore structure and functional groups indicate that pore characteristics and C-C/C-H structures influence oxidation reactions. In-situ free radical experiments revealed that when primary active sites remained intact, desorption significantly exposed concealed free radicals, particularly alkyl radicals. However, as active sites were depleted, subsequent desorption did not significantly increase free radical exposure, limiting further oxidation. CO was less affected by coal pore adsorption compared to CO₂, making it a more reliable indicator of oxidation intensity. This study provides insights into gas evolution during RTO of primary active sites in coal and offers theoretical guidance for addressing Coal spontaneous combustion and CO exceedance in low-rank coal mines.

Urban energy efficiency: A path towards sustainable futures in the age of energy transition

As cities are faced with increasing resource and environmental problems, sustainable urban growth is progressively becoming dependent on enhancing Green Financial Performance (GFP). Although China's new energy transition program represents an exciting paradigm change in the field of green energy, there needs to be more analysis on its impact on environmentally responsive economic development. This study evaluates the GFP of 255 Chinese cities using the non-radial distance's role approach, using city level panel data from 2005 to 2021. Based on the analysis, the results are then utilized to give quasi-experimental observations about the impact of the New Energy Demonstration City (NEDC) policy on urban GFP. China's NEDC policy has been shown to enhance green economic growth in urban areas, with 2% greater GFP in demonstration cities. This approach promotes sustainability using eco-finance, technology, and industry, although its effects differ depending on geography and available resources. The results remain stable, even after extensive robustness testing. According to a heterogeneity study, GFP of the central and western region, along with non-resource cities are more strongly impacted by the NEDC policy. Analysis of the policy's underlying mechanisms reveals that progress in technical innovation, upgrading industries and development of green finance are the primary forces behind the policy's beneficial effects. The NEDC policy can strike a good balance between environmental and economic nexus, thereby becoming a model for sustainable urban development.

Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Interactive Relationship Between Digital Economy and Green Development in China

A digital economy parallel with green development holds profound significance for achieving sustainability. The primary objective of this study was to explore the synergistic interaction effects between the digital economy and green development in China and forecast their future development. This study analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of provincial digital economy and green development in China by integrating a combined assignment method, an unconditional spatial kernel density estimation method, and a standard deviation ellipse model. The interplay between the digital economy and green development was examined using a panel vector autoregression model. Additionally, digital economy and green development levels were forecasted using univariate time series and radial basis function kernel ε-support vector regression models. The results indicate that both the digital economy and green development levels in China exhibited an upward trend from 2013 to 2021, with the digital economy increasing at a faster rate. However, both domains demonstrated regional disparities in their development processes. The mutual interaction between the digital economy and green development intensified as the lag period increased. The digital economy contributed 21% to green development, whereas green development contributed 18% to the digital economy. The initial effect of the digital economy on green development was negative, however, this impact gradually diminished over time. Additionally, the influence of green development on the digital economy was shown to follow a consistent trend of transitioning from negative to positive across the eastern, central, and western regions. Therefore, it can be seen that the digital economy exerts a sustainable impact on green development, albeit with a one-phase lag. This research provides a scientific basis for the deep integration of the digital economy and green development, thereby fostering sustainable socioeconomic growth.

Logistics Industry Agglomeration Affects New-Type Urbanization—An Empirical Test Based on Spatial Panel Models

The rapid development of the logistics industry and its cooperation with other production factors have an impact on the promotion of new-type urbanization (NTU), a more sustainable and inclusive model of urban growth. This article analyzes in-depth the impact mechanism of logistics industry agglomeration, a new way to promote innovation and improve industrial efficiency, on NTU from various dimensions, including population, economy, society, space, ecology, and urban-rural coordination. Using panel data from 31 provinces in China between 2002 and 2021, the level of NTU was calculated using the entropy weight method, and a spatial econometric model was employed to examine the impact of logistics industry agglomeration on NTU and its spatial spillover effects. The research findings are as follows. The study reveals a spatial correlation between logistics industry agglomeration and NTU across Chinese regions. Logistics industry agglomeration significantly enhances NTU levels and generates spatial spillover effects, facilitating urban development in surrounding areas. The influence of regional logistics industry agglomeration on NTU demonstrates notable spatial heterogeneity, with the central region exerting a greater impact than the eastern and western regions. It can help in the understanding of regional differences and help policy makers optimize resource allocation. The impact of logistics industry agglomeration on NTU is nonlinear, primarily characterized by a substantial improvement in NTU at the medium and low levels due to logistics industry agglomeration. It helps identify regional differences and supports personalized decision making. The level of human capital, the degree of government intervention, the degree of marketization, the level of technological industrialization, the ratio of elderly dependency, and the level of innovation have direct effects and spillover effects on NTU. This paper elaborates on the mechanism of logistics industry agglomeration on NTU in China and proposes targeted proposals for promoting the development of NTU, which is highly important for promoting urbanization in other regions of the world from the perspective of industry.

Experimental Study on Fatigue Properties of Q420 Bridge Steel in a Deicing Salt Corrosion Environment in Western China

The corrosive environment in the western region will adversely affect the fatigue performance of bridges. In order to determine the influence of the corrosion environment in western China on the fatigue failure of bridges, this paper simulated corrosion environment characteristics in northwest China, conducted alternating corrosion and high-cycle fatigue experiments on Q420 bridge steel, and used Origin (2019b 64Bit) to fit S-N curves of specimens with different corrosion periods to study the influence of corrosion damage in western China on their fatigue properties. Based on the damage theory, the corrosion fatigue failure degree of Q420 bridge steel was analyzed, and the crack propagation law was revealed by microscopic scanning of the fracture. The findings indicate that the damage to Q420 bridge steel progressively worsens with more prolonged corrosion exposure in the deicing salt conditions of western China. The 60-day corrosion resulted in a rust rate ηs of 2.17% and a corrosion rate K of 1.413 mm/a. The fatigue life of Q420 bridge steel is significantly affected by the coupling of stress level and corrosion damage. After 60 days of corrosion, the specimen’s fatigue limit decreases by 12.28%, which accelerates the fatigue property degradation rate of the specimen. The damage index effectively represents the internal damage behavior of materials under corrosion fatigue conditions. Fatigue damage escalates as the corrosion period extends, and the number of fatigue bands decreases, with the stress corrosion threshold σth diminishing by 1.77%, 3.55%, 4.61%, and 6.38% across various corrosion durations. The research results are significant for the fatigue failure prediction and reliability analysis of Q420 bridge steel in a deicing salt corrosion environment in western China.

Democracy and Autonomy in Neighbourhoods: Implications from the Election of a New Owners' Committee in Urban China

Homeowner associations play a pivotal role in neighbourhood autonomy across the globe. However, compared to homeowner associations in Western countries, the number of neighbourhood autonomous organizations in mainland China, known as owners' committees, has not experienced exponential growth in the past twenty years. The study examines the election process of owners' committees by analysing a case study of a new owners' committee election in X neighbourhood, G city, and aims to derive implications for the election of owners' committees, considering the distinct challenges they face which include not only the typical collective action dilemma experienced by homeowners in Western countries and regions but also the need to coordinate and strike a balance between state powers and market forces. The findings reveal that the election process of the owners' committee achieved full-coverage institutional norms by adhering to the guidance of party-building, auditing the qualifications of owners, and strengthening public opinion supervision. It also realised all round owners' mobilisation through stimulating democratic awareness and community consciousness.

Does Agricultural Science and Technological Innovation Always Boost Farmers’ Income? Evidence from China

Agricultural science and technological innovation (ASTI) provides important opportunities to enhance agricultural welfare. Based on comparative advantage, value chain, and resource dependence theories, this study employed a variety of econometric models, including fixed effects (FEs), panel-corrected standard errors (PCSEs), feasible generalized least squares (FGLSs), and the systematic generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM), to investigate the impacts of ASTI on farmers’ income using data from a panel of 31 Chinese provinces spanning from 2012 to 2021. Our results reveal that ASTI contributes significantly positively to income growth, but its effects are not uniform: the central and western regions benefit more from ASTI compared to the eastern region. Moreover, as the level of ASTI increases, its positive impact on income growth diminishes. However, regions with higher levels of rural human capital—measured by educational attainment and skills—experience a more pronounced amplification of ASTI’s benefits on income. Additionally, aging populations in both urban and rural areas initially enhance the influence of ASTI on farmers’ income, but this effect diminishes as demographic gaps widen.

Uncovering the Challenges Faced by Primary School Science Teachers in Implementing Experimental Teaching: A Data Analysis Based on a Questionnaire Survey Conducted in Western China

Primary school science is a discipline grounded in experiments, and experimental teaching holds paramount significance in primary school science education in China. Nevertheless, the implementation problems of experimental teaching are frequently disregarded. This research endeavors to disclose the concrete challenges encountered by primary school science teachers in the western region of China during the implementation of experimental teaching, analyze their implications, and put forward corresponding mitigatory measures. Based on a questionnaire survey regarding the current state of primary school science experimental teaching in 21 areas of western China, it is unveiled that primary school science teachers in the western region of China confront deficiencies in scientific professional attainment, the necessity to enhance the attitude towards experimental teaching, and a partial shortage of experimental teaching resources. These hardships result in the deterioration of the quality of experimental teaching, the attenuation of students’ learning interests, and the exacerbation of teachers’ job burnout. Hence, measures should be initiated in aspects such as teacher training, resource development, and enhanced emphasis to assist primary school science teachers in the western region of China in implementing experimental teaching more effectively and elevating the quality of primary school science experimental teaching.

Effect of Nutrient Management and Mulching on Growth Parameters, Yield Attributes and Yield of Pearl Millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. Emend Stuntz] in Western Region of India

Aim: To assessed the effect of nutrient management and mulching on growth parameters, yield attributes and yield of pearl millet. Place and Duration of Study: A field experiment was conducted during two consecutive year 2021 and 2022 at Agronomy farm, S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Jobner (Rajasthan). Study Design and Methodology: The 16 treatment combinations consist different nutrients and mulching sources with replicated four times and laid out in split plot design. Various plant growth parameters, yield attributes and yield were recorded with standard procedures. Results: Results showed that Mustard straw mulch @ 2.5 t/ha gave significantly higher growth parameters (plant height, dry matter accumulation, number of tillers per plant, number of leaves per plant and chlorophyll content), yield attributes (number of effective tillers per metre row length, ear head length, ear head diameter, weight of grains per ear and number of grains per ear) leading to increased grain yield (1930 kg/ha), stover yield (3748 kg/ha) and biological yield (5678 kg/ha) over control on pooled data basis. Results showed that Liquid Azospirillium gave significantly higher growth parameters (plant height, dry matter accumulation, number of tillers per plant, number of leaves per plant and chlorophyll content), yield attributes (number of effective tillers per metre row length, ear head length, ear head diameter, weight of grains per ear and number of grains per ear) leading to increased grain yield (1954 kg/ha), stover yield (3742 kg/ha) and biological yield (5697 kg/ha) over control on pooled data basis. Results further indicated that among nitrogen management practices 50% RDN through urea + 0.2% foliar spray of nano urea at 30 DAS proved significantly superior for growth parameters (plant height, dry matter accumulation, number of tillers per plant, number of leaves per plant and chlorophyll content), yield attributes (number of effective tillers per metre row length, ear head length, ear head diameter, weight of grains per ear, number of grains per ear and test weight) and grain yield (1919 kg/ha), stover yield (3742 kg/ha), biological yield (5661 kg/ha) over control and remained at par with treatment RDN through urea and 0.2% foliar spray of nano urea on mean pooled data basis. Among all the treatments, 50% RDN through urea + 0.2% foliar spray of nano urea at 30 DAS, Mustard straw mulch @ 2.5 t/ha and Liquid Azospirillium are fond best with respect to growth parameters, yield attributes and yield.

Intelligent Manufacturing and Green Innovation—Evidence from China’s Listed Manufacturing Firms

The realization of intelligent and green manufacturing represents two core challenges currently faced by manufacturing enterprises. The “Intelligent Manufacturing Pilot Demonstration List” issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of the People’s Republic of China provides a sample of firms that have undergone stringent selection processes, demonstrating secure and controllable technological capabilities, with no intellectual property disputes. Using data from manufacturing firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2011 to 2020, we identify those that implemented intelligent manufacturing based on the aforementioned pilot list from 2015 to 2019 as the treatment group and the remaining firms as the control group to investigate whether intelligent manufacturing increases the number of green patent applications. The findings indicate that the implementation of intelligent manufacturing significantly increases green patent applications by 3.676% through three main pathways: reducing the level of financing constraints, improving resource utilization efficiency, and increasing R&D investment. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that state-owned enterprises exhibit a significantly stronger promotion effect on green innovation post-implementation of intelligent manufacturing compared to non-state-owned enterprises, with enterprises in the western region demonstrating the most pronounced enhancement in green innovation. Based on these findings, we propose corresponding recommendations from the perspectives of policy support and enterprise strategy.