Science Research Management

Science Research Management ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (8): 17-25.

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Manufacturing servicization, knowledge capital and technological innovation

Chen Wei1,2, Chen Yinzhong3, Yang Bai1,2#br#   

  1. 1. School of Business Administration, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China; 
    2. Research Center for Enterprise Management, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China; 
    3. Research Center for International Business and Economy, Sichuan International Study University, Chongqing 400031, China

  • Received:2021-02-22 Revised:2021-06-02 Online:2021-08-20 Published:2021-08-13

Abstract:     The development of China′s manufacturing industry is facing the dilemma of "low-end locking and high-end blockade". Under the realistic background of "new normalcy" and "three-stage superposition" in Chinese economic development, how to get rid of the predicament and accelerate the transformation and upgrading is an important issue that needs solving urgently in the development of China′s manufacturing industry. "Innovation driven" is an important principle for the transformation and upgrading of China′s manufacturing industry and the realization of high-quality development. As the core content of "innovation driven", technological innovation has naturally become an important activity for China′s manufacturing industry to transform and upgrade and enhance its competitiveness. In order to comply with the trend of global manufacturing development, manufacturing servicization has become an important strategy for the development of manufacturing industry. With the acceleration on China′s manufacturing servicization, what is the impact of manufacturing servicization on technological innovation? How does it work? What is the impact of different types of manufacturing industry and service input on technological innovation in manufacturing industry? How does service, represented by knowledge capital, works between manufacturing servicization and technological innovation? At present, there are still few documents to discuss these issues in depth, but it is of great practical significance to correctly understand the internal relationship between manufacturing servicization and technological innovation and to scientifically build a new engine of manufacturing transformation and upgrading driven by "servicization" and "technological innovation". Based on all above, the main contents of this paper are as follows: 
     The first part is the analysis of influence mechanism. Firstly, combined with the connotation of manufacturing servicization, this paper analyzes the impact of manufacturing servicization on technological innovation from the aspects of resource reallocation, factor substitution and technology spillover. Secondly, considering the heterogeneity of manufacturing industry and its service input, this paper not only analyzes the impact of manufacturing servicization on technological innovation which is among different types of manufacturing industry, but also analyzes the impact of different service input elements on technological innovation in manufacturing industry. The manufacturing industry is divided into labor intensive, capital intensive and technology intensive. And the input factors of service mainly divided into high-end service elements and low-end service elements. Finally, based on the theory of technological innovation and knowledge capital, this paper analyzes mediating mechanisms when manufacturing servicization affects technological innovation.
     The second part is empirical test. Based on the panel data of China′s manufacturing industry from 2000 to 2014, considering the heterogeneity of manufacturing industry and its service input, this paper empirically tests the theoretical hypothesis. The results are as follows: First, from the perspective of direct mechanism, manufacturing servicization has a significant positive impact on technological innovation, however, there is industry heterogeneity in this effect; Second, from the perspective of manufacturing industry heterogeneity, the impact of manufacturing servicization on labor intensive manufacturing technology innovation is not significant, but the impact on capital intensive and technology intensive manufacturing technology innovation is significant, but there is no difference in the influence effect; Third, from the perspective of industry heterogeneity of service factor input, low-end service factor input has a significant negative impact on technological innovation, while high-end service factor has a significant positive impact; Fourth, from the perspective of the mechanism, R&D capital, human capital and innovation facility capital are the channels of manufacturing servicization influencing technological innovation, the mediation effect of innovation facility capital is the largest, and the mediation effect of R&D capital is the least.
    The third part is the research inspiration. Basing on the above research conclusions, we can get enlightenment as follows: First, take the deepening construction of Free Trade Zone as an opportunity to accelerate the development of service industry; Second, lower the access threshold and constantly improve the market environment for the flow of service factors; Third, actively guide the enterprises of labor intensive manufacturing to carry out digital and intelligent transformation with the help of the new revolution of scientific and technological.

Key words:  manufacturing servicization, knowledge capital, technological innovation, manufacturing transformation