A study of the cross-border regional innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area

Abstract

The study of cross-border regional innovation systems (CBRIS) has emerged as a recent concept within the subject of economic geography in the past decade. With the deepening of globalization, innovation cooperation in cross-border regions (CBR) can allow innovation elements from different regions to intersect and integrate with each other, bringing new inspirations for regional economic development and global innovation transformation. Both theoretical and empirical research on CBRIS lacks differentiation between various CBRs based on their distinct political and economic contexts. This research is the first to examine CBRIS from a political economy perspective in order to explore the dynamics of cross-border innovation cooperation between regions possessing major gaps in political economic status. This study employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods to investigate the integration of CBRIS in the Hong Kong-Shenzhen region, which is a crucial CBR within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The primary analyses are centered around cognitive proximity, investment flows, and innovation policies between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The study findings indicate that Hong Kong and Shenzhen exhibit a fair level of cognitive proximity in comparison to European CBRs. However, there remains a significant gap when compared to the leading CBRs in Europe. The flow of investment as a means of knowledge flow largely takes place from Shenzhen to Hong Kong, rather than the other way around. In addition, Shenzhen demonstrates a higher degree of proactivity in promoting collaborative policies for innovation in comparison to the other side of Hong Kong. The asymmetrical pattern suggests that CBRs with varying political economic statuses may adopt different cooperative strategies, potentially impeding cross-border innovation integration. This study enriches the current literature by introducing a new perspective that differentiates the studied CBRs based on their political economic status. The study result can not only bring new evidence from Asian regions but also offer valuable insights for other complicated CBRs that face challenges in their collaborative efforts. Future research should aim to identify more comprehensive indicators for measuring innovation activities and accurately depict the dynamics in CBRIS.