Green Innovation Efficiency Measurement Based on Sensor Data: Evidence from China

Abstract

Based on the theoretical knowledge of technological innovation, this paper designs a sensor data value incubation model and a sensor data collection model to collect the original data on green innovation efficiency. In order to explore the spatial and temporal differentiation characteristics of China’s provincial green innovation efficiency and the spatial spillover effect of China’s provincial green innovation efficiency, the entropy weight TOPSIS model is adopted to measure the green innovation efficiency of China’s 30 provinces (cities) from 2005 to 2021 and analyze its temporal and spatial evolution characteristics. This paper uses an exploratory spatial data analysis method to prove the agglomeration phenomenon of China’s provincial green innovation efficiency in the ground space. Finally, a spatial econometric model is introduced to study the impact of government R&D investment, green supervision, and green innovation efficiency on spatial spillover effects. The study found the following three conclusions: First, the efficiency of green innovation in China’s provinces has been fluctuating in stages, and the overall trend has been increasing year by year. The overall efficiency of green innovation in China’s provinces is low, and the overall development is uneven and uncoordinated. Second, from the results of the spatial autocorrelation test, there is a clear and positive spatial correlation between China’s provincial green innovation efficiency and agglomeration in the geospatial space. Third, government R&D inputs and different types of green regulations have a significant impact on green innovation efficiency and have significant spatial spillover effects. Along from the eastern region to the central region, then to the northeast and western regions, the degree of effect on green innovation efficiency and the intensity of spatial spillover effects have gradually weakened. It is believed that the government should reduce R&D investment in the eastern region and increase green sewage charges. Instead, the government should raise R&D investment in the central, northeast, and western regions and offer enterprises green innovation subsidies.