The impact of strategic alliances on the sustainability of corporate green innovation

Niu Xiaotong, Li Huiru, Dong Weixin, Yang Youcai

Science Research Management ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (7) : 119-127.

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Science Research Management ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (7) : 119-127. DOI: 10.19571/j.cnki.1000-2995.2026.07.012  CSTR: 32148.14.kygl.2026.07.012

The impact of strategic alliances on the sustainability of corporate green innovation

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Abstract

Green development is a necessary condition for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. As the primary agents responsible for environmental pollution, enterprises play a crucial role in promoting green innovation. Strategic alliances accelerate the flow of resources and elements among partner firms by penetrating organizational boundaries. However, existing research has seldom analyzed the impact of strategic alliances on the sustainability of corporate green innovation from this perspective. This paper investigates the relationship between strategic alliances and green innovation sustainability from the perspective of this inter-firm cooperative network. Using Chinese A-share listed enterprises in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2014 to 2024 as the research sample, this study empirically tests the proposed framework. The findings reveal that: (1) Participation in strategic alliances significantly promotes the sustainability of green innovation.(2) Mediation analysis indicates that strategic alliances promote the persistence of green innovation by enhancing firms’ dynamic capabilities, as reflected in improvements in opportunity-sensing capability, learning and absorptive capability, and resource reconfiguration capability.(3) Heterogeneity analysis shows that the promoting effect of strategic alliances on green innovation persistence is more pronounced among firms with higher stocks of green knowledge, firms operating in more competitive industries, and firms located in regions characterized by stronger public environmental concern and greater cultural diversity. The conclusions enrich the research on the economic consequences of strategic alliances and provide empirical evidence for improving green innovation capabilities in the context of inter-enterprise cooperation.

Key words

strategic alliance / corporate dynamic capability / green innovation sustainability / opportunity perception capability / learning absorption capability / resource restructuring capability

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Niu Xiaotong , Li Huiru , Dong Weixin , et al. The impact of strategic alliances on the sustainability of corporate green innovation[J]. Science Research Management. 2026, 47(7): 119-127 https://doi.org/10.19571/j.cnki.1000-2995.2026.07.012

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