Abstract:

Technological innovation is a key factor for facilitating the global green transition. However, few studies have empirically examined how technological innovation affects green transition from the path and place perspectives within the evolutionary economic geography framework. Using patent data (2005—2019) from China's four major urban agglomerations (Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and Chengdu-Chongqing), we constructed two indicators—path breakthrough and place breakthrough—to identify four modes of urban green transition. We analyzed the relationship between these indicators and green transition using a fixed-effects regression model. The results show that: ① Green transition modes differ significantly across urban agglomerations. The Pearl River Delta has the highest proportion of cities with saltation or exaptation; the Yangtze River Delta has formed two horizontal spatial transition clusters of developmental transition highlands; while the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Chengdu-Chongqing agglomerations exhibit a highly unbalanced distribution of transition modes. ② With rising economic levels, urban green transition modes generally follow an evolutionary trend of "replication–exaptation–saltation". Most lagging cities struggle to break through in path niche innovation and unrelated technology, whereas only a few developed cities achieve both high place breakthrough and path breakthrough. ③Path breakthrough promotes urban green transition, though there're marked differences in the mechanisms underlying the transition among urban agglomerations. Finally, we provided targeted policy recommendations for different transition modes and the four major urban agglomerations.

Key words: green transition, China's four major urban agglomerations, technological innovation, path breakthrough, place breakthrough

摘要：

绿色转型是全球核心议题，技术创新是推动其进程的关键因素。然而，现有研究较少从演化经济地理学的路径和地方双重视角开展实证分析，以揭示技术创新对绿色转型的影响机制。本研究基于2005—2019年中国四大城市群的发明专利数据，通过识别利基技术与不相关技术，测度技术引力度，并采用固定效应回归模型，将绿色转型过程解构为路径突破与地方突破两个关键维度，从而揭示技术创新推动城市绿色转型的4种模式。研究结果表明：①绿色转型模式在城市群间存在显著差异，珠三角城市群以跳跃式或扩展适应式转型占比最高，长三角城市群形成两部分横向发展转型高地，京津冀和成渝城市群转型模式空间分布失衡；②随着经济水平的提升，城市绿色转型模式呈现“复制式-扩展适应式-跳跃式”的演化趋势，大部分转型相对落后的城市在路径利基创新层面难以突破，而城市群中极少数发达城市同时拥有较高地方突破和路径突破能力；③整体而言，技术创新的路径突破性推动了城市的绿色转型，但4个城市群的绿色转型机制各具鲜明特征。最后，本研究针对不同转型模式和四大城市群分别给出针对性政策建议。

关键词: 绿色转型, 中国四大城市群, 技术创新, 路径突破, 地方突破