Title: The moderating role of collaborative capacity in the relationship between ecological niche-fitness and innovation investment: an ecosystem perspective

Authors: Yan Zhao; Luying Li; Niannian Qi; T.C. Edwin Cheng; Tachia Chin

Addresses: School of Management, Shanghai University, 200444, Shanghai, China ' School of Management, Shanghai University, 200444, Shanghai, China ' School of Management, Shanghai University, 200444, Shanghai, China ' Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong ' School of Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, 310000, Hangzhou, China

Abstract: The manufacturing supply chain in China has moved to a new form of innovation ecosystem with a novel characteristic of multi-agent collaboration. According to this new phenomenon, we integrate the ecological niche perspective with the theory of institutional economics to explore the impact mechanism among ecological niche-fitness, collaborative capacity and innovation investment in China's high-tech manufacturing sector. With panel data from 2011 to 2020, our results show a U-shaped nonlinear relationship between ecological niche-fitness and industry innovation scale, and a positive impact of ecological niche-fitness on innovation investment intensity. The economic development level has moderating effects on these relationships, and the association between ecological niche-fitness and innovation investment scale is moderated by collaborative capability. Theoretically, we enrich the innovation literature by incorporating ecological niche-fitness into the context of innovative ecosystem. We also provide important managerial implications for regional governments to regulate innovation ecosystems and promote industrial innovation.

Keywords: innovation ecosystem; ecological niche-fitness; collaborative capacity; industrial innovation investment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2025.143588

International Journal of Technology Management, 2025 Vol.97 No.2/3, pp.305 - 335

Received: 12 Aug 2022
Accepted: 09 May 2023
Published online: 02 Jan 2025 *

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