In an effort to tackle climate change, the “Dual Carbon” target raised by the Chinese government aims to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Accordingly, policy incentives have accelerated the new energy vehicle (NEV) sector. Whilst previous studies have focused on the bilateral game between governments and manufacturers, NEV development has witnessed interaction among multiple players. In this paper, we construct a quadrilateral evolutionary game model, considering the impact of government policies, manufacturers’ R&D investments, dealers’ support, and consumer choice on the evolutionary stabilization strategy (ESS) in the context of China. The results show that: (1) in the absence of government incentives, there is no motivation for manufacturers, dealers and consumers to consider the development of NEVs; (2) government incentives affect manufacturers and consumers on the evolutionary paths in the short term. In the long term, benefit- and utility-based limited rationality has a dominant role in the ESS. This study contributes to the understanding of the multilateral dynamics of NEV innovation and provides important implications to practitioners and policy makers.

The increasing value of patents for innovation and the permeability of digital technologies have triggered patent digital platforms (PDPs) as a new business model of patent intermediaries. While current literature mainly focuses upon PDPs within a developed country, China shows unique features with a relatively unmatured patent market. This paper aims to explore conditional configurations that lead to the operational success of PDPs throughout China. The results indicate two configurational paths: “firm size driven” and “digital infrastructure and knowledge assets driven.” Furthermore, environmental factors are peripheral conditions yet important. Our findings have enriched the understanding of patent intermediaries in digital age and sheds light on PDP theory and practice.

This paper explores the cultivation paths of innovation ecosystems in the digital age by constructing a theoretical framework consisting of innovators, elements of innovation, platforms and digital governance. Four cities in China, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Xuzhou and Weifang, were selected for in-depth case studies. Findings revealed that: (1) regions with ‘head enterprises’ and a strong industrial base achieve a competitive advantage via the synergy of digital industrialisation and industrial digitalisation; (2) digital technology pioneer regions can adopt digital industrialisation; (3) regions with a strong industrial base and traditional manufacturing industries can prioritise industrial digitalisation and (4) manufacturing regions with a large number of small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) who can combine industrial digitalisation and digital value. This study provides theoretical and practical value for the cultivation of regional innovation ecosystems.