Impact of Intergovernmental Science and Technology Policy Synergy on Inter-city Patent Cooperation in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region Based on QAP Analysis

Abstract

In 2014, China put forward the strategic plan of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei synergistic development, but there are always many obstacles to patent cooperation as an important means to promote regional synergistic development. To study whether intergovernmental policy synergy can strengthen inter-regional technological cooperation, this paper constructs weighted undirected networks of policy synergy and patent cooperation for 13 cities in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei from 2015 to 2020, respectively, based on the science and technology policy documents of a total of 43 official government websites in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei provinces and cities, and the patent cooperation application data in IncoPat global patent database, and conducts correlation analysis and regression analysis using QAP method, to explore the influence mechanism of inter-governmental policy synergy on inter-city patent cooperation. The following conclusions were drawn: First, with the promotion of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cooperative development strategy, the positive promotion effect of inter-governmental policy synergy on inter-city patent cooperation has gradually increased. Secondly, the impact of policy synergy on patent cooperation is continuous and lagging in time. Thirdly, there is still room for improving the promotion effect of policy synergy on patent cooperation, and other channels for promoting patent cooperation should continue to be explored. This study provides decision support for enhancing patent cooperation between Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei across cities.