Science Research Management

Science Research Management ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (1): 88-99.

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A research on the impact of financial transfer payment on regional technology transfer

Mao Jun1, Li Zihao2, Shi Xinqiu1   

  1. 1. School of Mathematics and Statistics, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, Hainan, China; 
    2. School of International Economics and Trade, Henan University of Economics and Law, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan, China
  • Received:2020-03-23 Revised:2020-11-02 Online:2021-01-20 Published:2021-01-22

Abstract: As an important medium for innovation activities, technology transfer is an important driving force in the initial stage of technological innovation from external introduction to independent innovation evolution. In the context of the rapid changes in the international technology transfer environment brought about by the "Sino-US trade war" and the greater emphasis on high-quality economic growth and regional coordinated development in the domestic cycle, it is particularly important to fully improve the effectiveness of domestic regional technology transfer activities. In terms of the Ministry of Science and Technology, it shows that the national fiscal expenditure on science and technology was 951.82 billion Yuan in 2018; of which, local fiscal expenditure accounted for 60.7%. Under the long-standing structure of China′s central-local fiscal decentralization system, fiscal transfer payments are an important way to make up for the fiscal gap of local governments and promote the equalization of government public services. Since the important goal of fiscal transfer payment is to balance regional financial resources and narrow the regional economic gap, regional technology transfer is an important driving force to narrow the regional technology gap and promote regional economic integration. Studying the impact of financial transfer payments on regional technology transfer is of great significance for stimulating the vitality of factor markets, accelerating the construction of an innovative country, and the implementation of the strategly of developing the western regions in the new era.
     As there is no current research on the impact of fiscal transfer payments on regional technology transfer, the role of government fiscal transfer payments in the context of fiscal decentralization still needs to be explored and expanded. Therefore, based on the panel data of 22 provinces in China from 1994 to 2016, this article regards the implementation of the strategy of developing the western regions in 2000 as a natural experiment in fiscal transfer payments, and uses the synthetic control method to simulate the non-implementation of the policy in other regions. This article comparatively examines the impact of financial transfer payments on regional technology transfer in 9 provinces, including Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Guangxi, which implement the strategy of developing the western regions. This research expands existing research in the following aspects: First, in terms of theoretical mechanism, this paper systematically sorts out the influence mechanism of financial transfer payment on regional technology transfer, expands the existing research framework, and makes up for the existing mechanism analysis Inadequate deficiency; Second, from the perspective of research, the system GMM model and the spatial Dubin model have examined the spatial heterogeneity and spatial interaction between fiscal transfer payments and regional technology transfer, confirming that fiscal transfer payments can promote domestic regional technology transfer. It expands the analytical thinking of existing research; Third, in terms of research methods, this article adopts a more scientific and systematic synthetic control method of quasi-natural experimental estimation, which effectively controls the endogeneity of explanatory variables in previous measurement estimations, and helps resolve contradictions in existing research.
    Based on the above research conclusions, the following policy implications are obtained: (1) Increase the intensity of fiscal transfer payments, improve the efficiency of fiscal fund utilization, and promote inter-regional technology transfer. (2) Develop inter-regional technology transfer measures based on the development of regional technology markets. (3) Optimize the basic role of the market in resource allocation, establish a reasonable and efficient incentive mechanism, and optimize the combination of supporting policy measures.

Key words:  fiscal transfer payment, regional technology transformation, the strategy of developing the western regions, synthetic control method