Abstract:     Creating strong innovation climate serves as a vital engine for promoting the embeddedness of innovative enterprises and contributing to the construction of a technology powerhouse and an innovative nation. This study focused on digging up the complex causal mechanisms promoting the embedding of innovative enterprises from various dimensions of innovation climate. It examined the causal complex mechanism and configuration paths leading to the embedding of innovative enterprises through structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), using innovation networks as mediator variables and innovation basic conditions as moderator variables. The findings are as follows: (1) Innovation climate significantly promotes the embedding of innovative enterprises, with innovation basic conditions playing a positive moderating role between innovation climate and the embedding of innovative enterprises; (2) Based on the perspective of configuration, four antecedent configurations promoting the embedding of innovative enterprises are identified, with variables such as innovation climate and innovation basic conditions respectively playing core roles in different conditional configurations; and (3) Innovation networks not only mediate between innovation climate and the embeddedness of innovative enterprises but also serve as a necessary condition for triggering the embeddedness of innovative enterprises. This study will put forward the following management enlightenments: (1) to foster advanced innovation culture and create a strong innovation climate; (2) improve innovation basic conditions and enhance enterprise embedding; and (3) build effective innovation networks and construct a first-class innovation ecosystem. 

Key words:  innovation climate, innovative enterprise embeddedness, innovation network, SEM, fsQCA