Abstract:     In the new era, the firm implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy and the acceleration of an innovative country construction has become the major strategic ways to promote socialism with Chinese characteristics. Theoretically, in order to accelerate the construction of an innovative nation, in addition to continuously improving the level of independent innovation and efficiency, how to effectively narrow down the regional innovation gap is also a practical problem deserving attention, and the existing research focuses more on the former than the latter. In fact, in recent years, China′s regional innovation activities have shown a maddening development trend, but the phenomenon of regional innovation gap is still quite obvious at this stage, which seriously hinders China′s "innovative nation construction".
   Under this circumstance, China has put forward the "Internet +" strategy, and eagerly wishes to give full play to the innovation-driven role of "Internet +". 〖BP(〗General Secretary Xi points out that it is necessary to make good use of the major opportunities brought by the Internet and implement the innovation-driven development strategy in depth, which proposes new propositions for related research on the construction of "innovative nation" driven by "Internet +".〖BP)〗 However, the existing literature on the relevance between "Internet+" and regional innovation is still rare, especially the study on whether "Internet+" helps to narrow the regional innovation gap. Then, is there a convergence in China′s regional innovation efficiency at this stage? Can "Internet +" become an "accelerator" for the convergence of regional innovation efficiency? If yes, what will be the acceleration effect and what will be the difference? Answering the above questions is of great significance for further understanding of the strategic value of "Internet+" which driving the construction of "innovative nation" in China and promoting the coordinated development of regional innovation activities.
   The literature analysis finds that the existing theoretical conclusions have not yet reached a consistent conclusion on whether the regional innovation efficiency is converging. However, the existing literature considers that the relevant factors of regional innovation efficiency convergence are concentrated and limited. In particular, few literatures consider the "Internet+" drive in regional innovation research, and the study of whether "Internet+" helps to accelerate the convergence of regional innovation efficiency is widely blank. Different from the past, this paper puts "Internet +" into the analysis framework of regional innovation, from the new perspective of "Internet +", and uses the convergence theory to empirically examine the impact of "Internet +" on the convergence of regional innovation efficiency in China, answering whether "Internet+" can become the "accelerator" of regional innovation efficiency convergence, in order to provide a valuable policy reference for China′s "Internet +" strategy and innovation-driven development strategy in the new era.
   This paper explores how to accelerate the convergence of regional innovation efficiency from the new perspective of "Internet+". Using the panel data empirical test of 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2015, the study shows that: Firstly, there is significant innovation efficiency in both nationwide and the three regions. Random convergence, σ convergence, and β convergence. The convergence rate is in the western region>the central region>the country>the eastern region; secondly, the "Internet+" helps to accelerate the convergence of innovation efficiency at the national level, that is, after considering the "Internet+" drive, the innovation-inefficient regions catch up with innovation. The time required for higher efficiency regions is shortened by more than 5 years compared with the "Internet +" drive, and the convergence speed is relatively 0.26% higher. Thirdly, it focuses on "Internet +" and FDI, integration of FDI and financial development can further accelerate the convergence of "Internet+" on regional innovation efficiency. Fourthly, "Internet+" has the most obvious acceleration on the convergence of innovation efficiency in the central region, followed by the western region and eastern region.
   The conclusions of this paper have the following policy implications: First, it is feasible and effective to adopt the growth level theory to promote the construction of "innovative nation". At this stage, China′s innovation activities still face the embarrassing situation of "low-level clubs". In particular, it is necessary to build innovative growth poles for the central and western regions with low levels of innovation efficiency, and implement advanced development strategies for advanced provinces to drive backward provinces. At the same time, we cannot ignore the spread of technology exchange, sharing, joint and innovation achievements in the eastern and backward areas of high-innovation clubs, and further accelerate the convergence of innovation activities at the national level. Second, "Internet +" is a new era. Under the acceleration of innovation efficiency convergence and narrowing the regional innovation gap, the government should reconstruct the regional innovation system based on "Internet +", more effectively promote "mass entrepreneurship, innovation" and actively eliminate the space-time barriers that hinder the diffusion of innovation. Accelerate the integration of innovative information and cyclical value-added, and continue to narrow the regional innovation gap through the "Internet +" spillover bonus; third, the impact of "Internet+" on the convergence of innovation activities in different regions is different, and the government must co-ordinate In the development of regional innovation activities, it is necessary to formulate differentiated "Internet+" regional innovation guidance or support policies, especially the implementation of the "Internet+" innovation support policy or compensation strategy to the central and western regions, and accelerate the release. The overflow of "Internet+" innovation in the central and western regions dividends and "post-emphasis", as far as possible to break the predicament of "low-level traps" of innovation activities in the central and western regions; Fourth, the unbalanced development of regional innovation efficiency is a long-term and outstanding problem, not only to solve this problem considering the "Internet +" drive, we must fully realize its synergy with the factors of "going out", "bringing in" and financial development to accelerate the convergence of regional innovation efficiency, and constantly adjust and optimize the "Internet +" regional innovation. Strategy, different regions should also combine their own endowment conditions in foreign direct investment, foreign direct investment and financial development level, implement the "Internet +" innovation strategy in a step-by-step, planned and phased manner, and continue to strengthen the Internet as much as possible "accelerator" function that drives the innovation efficiency of the region.

Key words:  "Internet +", regional innovation efficiency, convergence, "accelerator"