Spatial Differentiation of Regional Innovation Capacity in Jiangsu, China

This article addresses regional innovation capacity as an important driver of regional economic growth and a way to achieve coordinated regional development. With the number of patents as the index of innovation capacity measurement and the data from the Statistical Yearbooks from 2008 to 2017, we explore the spatial differentiation of innovation capacity in Jiangsu, China. Spatial clustering analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis are used for this research. The result shows that the innovation capacity of 13 cities in Jiangsu is categorized into four levels. The gradient innovation capacity is weakened significantly from the south to the north in space. Jiangsu province has the distribution of regional innovation capacity level as the characteristics of spatial agglomeration. However, the province also has the characteristics of stage evolution, which shows the trend of aggregation, dispersion, and reagglomeration. The research results have important implications for optimizing the regional innovation system in Jiangsu Province.