Regional Breakthrough Innovation Change Strategies, Ecological Location Suitability of High-Tech Industry Innovation Ecosystems, and Green Energy

Abstract

Against the backdrop of an ongoing energy revolution, this study measured the regional green energy efficiency and ecological niche suitability of high-tech industry innovation ecosystems using the Super-SBM and entropy methods. We employed panel data from 30 mainland provinces (excluding Tibet) from 2009 to 2021 to conduct a quasi-natural experiment using spatial difference-in-differences models and double machine learning models. This was performed in order to investigate the impact mechanisms of the transformation of ecological niche suitability within the innovation ecosystems of high-tech industries driven by regional breakthrough innovation change strategies on green energy efficiency. The findings of this study revealed the following: (1) Driven by regional breakthrough innovation strategies, the transformation of the ecological niche suitability of high-tech industry innovation ecosystems has significant and positive local effects and spillover effects on green energy efficiency. (2) Regional breakthrough innovation strategies have a significant and positive mediating transmission effect on green energy efficiency through the development and optimization of internal factors within the ecological niche suitability of high-tech industry innovation ecosystems, including innovation entities, support, vitality, resources, and environment. (3) The transformation of the ecological niche suitability of high-tech industry innovation ecosystems driven by regional breakthrough innovation strategies promotes the advancement and rationalization of the industrial structure, thus indirectly enhancing regional green energy efficiency. These findings are of paramount importance for propelling the next wave of regional disruptive innovation reform strategies, ensuring that the outcomes of these reforms drive the ecological niche suitability of high-tech industry innovation ecosystems toward the advancement and realization of clean and efficient energy utilization.