Scientific and Technological Innovation and Cooperation in the Greater Bay Area of China: A Case Study of University Patent Applications and Transformation

This article examines the dynamics of scientific and technological innovation and cooperation in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. It focuses on unraveling the intricate web of influences that steer patenting and transformation within 34 universities in this region. The study reveals the spatial spillover of university patent applications and delves into the nuanced choices universities make in transforming patents. The findings underscore the antecedents of university patent applications and reveal their propensity for spatial spillovers across the region. Key determinants, in particular the government funding and the economic prosperity of the region in which the university is located, do not positively affect university patent applications. Interestingly, institutional distance can assist colleges in the region in generating more patents. Moreover, the study delineates two central pathways for patent transformation within universities: one involves the strategic allocation of internal resources, while the other depends on collaborative ventures between universities and their respective regional ecosystems. This dual approach illuminates viable pathways for the evolution of university patents and provides insights into leveraging internal dynamics and fostering collaborative networks with the broader regional innovation milieu.