Abstract: Cluster innovation essentially is a process in which heterogeneous knowledge of different subjects is integrated into a correlated structure. Current research on the evaluation of cluster innovation ability mainly adopts the input – output approach of innovation resources, which is hard to analyses the root problem of the different subjects achieving the innovative ecology through synergy. Either as the elements or the structure, the cluster contains ecological characteristics. Based on ecosystem theory and connotation of ecological chain of cluster innovation, this paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system of ecological ability coordinated with industrial clusters and knowledge clusters as the core. The system is constructed comprehensively by structure, relationships, openness and output, which synergizes the subjective ecosystem, innovation environment and innovation output in hi-tech industries. This paper adopts factor analysis method, selects 56 national high-tech zones in China as the empirical evaluation sample, aims to find out the four key ecological factors—structural performance of innovation population, synergy of knowledge innovation community, continuous innovation, the degree of innovation chain cooperation, we find that the innovation ability of national high-tech zones is low, and national high-tech zones exist unbalance phenomenon in ecological factors developing. So we draw up the policy suggestion on the construction of their innovation ecological hi-tech zones.

Key words: high-tech industrial cluster, collaborative innovation, innovation ecological ability, innovation ecosystem