Science Research Management ›› 2022, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (4): 20-28.

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Influence of informatization on the innovation efficiency of China′s industrial industries

He Yang, Song Lin   

  1. School of Economics and Finance, Xi′an Jiaotong University, Xi′an 710061, Shaanxi ,China
  • Received:2020-04-26 Revised:2020-09-18 Online:2022-04-20 Published:2022-04-19

Abstract:    The new information and communications technology are constantly penetrating the production of various industries through the mobile network, changing the mode of innovation in different industries. Today we face a new trend of unilateralism and protectionism. Therefore, it′s necessary to explore how to use new information and communications technology to improve the efficiency of industrial innovation and correctly use it in innovation is conducive to the breakthrough of key technologies. And we can realize the dream about Chinese industry: from a low level to a high level in manufacturing.
    Different from the previous studies, this paper discusses the infrastructure investment and software service investment in the informatization investment, and distinguishes the different impacts of two types of information investment; To better understand different types of innovation, this paper divides the innovation efficiency into market-oriented innovation efficiency and non-market-oriented innovation efficiency. 
    Subsequently, this paper discusses the influence of two complementary conditions, namely, the strength of R&D support of non-governmental departments and the condition of industry marketization. This paper also explores the different efficiency of industry innovation under different marketization levels and reveals the potential causes of the "Solow paradox" in Chinese industries.
     The research mainly combined the method of theory and empirical study. In theoretical research, this paper explains what kind of informatization has an impact on the industrial industry, and the mechanism of informatization on industrial innovation efficiency. This paper puts forward the hypothesis that the higher the degree of informatization of industry, the higher the coordination of elements and the availability of information, which can better improve the innovation efficiency of the industry. However, the effect of informatization on innovation depends on the marketization level of the industry and the origination of R&D funds. There are differences in the impact of different oriented innovation. Information and communications technology bring out the spillover effects of skills, and there will be less obstruction in knowledge learning. So higher marketization level will promote innovation efficiency more frequently. The improvement of informatization has a much more significant effect on promoting market-oriented innovation. The larger the proportion of non-governmental funds in R&D funding sources, the more innovations tend to be market-oriented, which may improve the market-oriented innovation efficiency. In the empirical study, this paper has controlled the variables that may affect the innovation efficiency, and also controlled individual and time heterogeneity of industries. This paper uses a two-way fixed effect model to estimate the coefficient of informatization, and makes a robust analysis of the endogenous problems. 
     The conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) As a whole, informatization can significantly improve the efficiency of market-oriented innovation. The mismatching of informatization service input and marketization of industry may lead to the failure of informatization in promoting innovation. (2) When we consider the different types of informatization investment, the improvement of infrastructure investment cannot directly improve the innovation efficiency of the industry. Only when industries with higher marketization level, the improvement of informatization infrastructure can promote innovation efficiency. When the marketization level of the industry is low, it is difficult to improve the innovation efficiency by simply increasing the investment in information infrastructure. The increase of R&D support ratio of non-governmental departments has no significant effect on promoting innovation when input more infrastructure. (3) The input of information software services can directly improve the innovation efficiency of the industrial industry. However, if the market-oriented level of the industry is high, the increase of information software service investment will reduce the efficiency of market-oriented innovation. The higher the proportion of R&D support from non-governmental departments, the more obvious the effect of informatization software services on improving the efficiency of industry innovation. The conclusion is still valid after robustness test.
    This paper gives the following policy suggestions: firstly, when we plan to increase the investment in information and communications technology, it is necessary to determine what kinds of investment we should take. For the industrial industry with a high marketization level, it is necessary to expand the investment of information infrastructure. Secondly, we should guide the support of non-governmental departments to invest in R&D and make full use of foreign capital with other non-governmental financing resources. We should not only focus on infrastructure investment but also pay attention to providing more guides to those who are familiar with information technology service. Only in that way can scientific research institutions make better use of information technology to improve their innovation efficiency. 

Key words: informatization, non-government R&D, marketization level, innovation efficiency