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The effects of government subsidies on the sustainable innovation of university-industry collaboration

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  • Song, Yang
  • Sahut, Jean-Michel
  • Zhang, Zhiyuan
  • Tian, Yifan
  • Hikkerova, Lubica

Abstract

Public policies increasingly support sustainable innovation, yet are often criticized for their effectiveness. This paper analyzes how the government uses subsidies as an instrument to promote sustainable innovation in university-industry collaboration. Through a three-stage Stackelberg model, we explore the impact of different government subsidy strategies in terms of profit and social welfare. The results show that in a context where the government exercises subsidy strategies, actors within university-industry collaborations receiving the subsidy will generate more profit and greater social welfare. With the same level of effort, companies receiving government subsidies will generate greater social welfare. Regardless of the subsidy strategy, there is an equilibrium subsidy rate which maximizes social welfare, and its value is positively related to the external benefit coefficient. The conclusions of this article potentially provide a theoretical foundation for the government's sustainable innovation subsidy policy. University-industry collaboration can moreover formulate strategies for promoting products.

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  • Song, Yang & Sahut, Jean-Michel & Zhang, Zhiyuan & Tian, Yifan & Hikkerova, Lubica, 2022. "The effects of government subsidies on the sustainable innovation of university-industry collaboration," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:174:y:2022:i:c:s0040162521006661
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121233
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    4. Meissner, Dirk & Zhou, Yuan & Fischer, Bruno & Vonortas, Nicholas, 2022. "A multilayered perspective on entrepreneurial universities: looking into the dynamics of joint university-industry labs," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    5. Song, Yang & Zhang, Zhiyuan & Sahut, Jean-Michel & Rubin, Ofir, 2023. "Incentivizing green technology innovation to confront sustainable development," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
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    7. Yao Yao & Wencheng Zhao & Shaopeng Zhang, 2023. "Effects of Government Innovation Support on the Innovation Ability of Universities: Evidence from the Quasi-Natural Experiment of China’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pilot Demonstration Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, January.
    8. Chundakkadan, Radeef & Sasidharan, Subash, 2023. "The role of government support on E-commerce and firm innovation during pandemic crisis," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 904-913.
    9. Weiling Wang & Yongjian Wang & Xiaoqing Zhang & Dalin Zhang, 2021. "Effects of Government Subsidies on Production and Emissions Reduction Decisions under Carbon Tax Regulation and Consumer Low-Carbon Awareness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-17, October.

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