IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i11p4846-d1664013.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Geographical Accessibility and Corporate Technological Innovation—Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaoli Qiao

    (School of Accounting, Management Accounting Research Center, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Dalian 116025, China)

  • Man Wang

    (School of Accounting, Management Accounting Research Center, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Dalian 116025, China)

Abstract

Geographic accessibility is an important determinant of the quality of interactions between firms and stakeholders and has a significant impact on the technological innovation of enterprises. By using a quasi-natural experiment implemented with China’s high-speed rail service and designing a high-speed rail network centrality indicator using social network analysis, we examine the impact of geographic accessibility on corporate technological innovation. The results show that geographic accessibility significantly promotes the technological innovation of enterprises, especially for enterprise exploratory innovation. Mechanism analysis indicates that geographic accessibility promotes enterprise technological innovation by reducing financing constraints and increasing technicians’ mobility. Cross-sectional analysis reveals that the prompting effect is more obvious in high-tech firms and firms in less-developed regions. This study enriches the research on geographic accessibility and corporate technological innovation, and has significant implications for enhancing the core competitiveness and sustainable development of enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoli Qiao & Man Wang, 2025. "Geographical Accessibility and Corporate Technological Innovation—Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-22, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4846-:d:1664013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4846/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4846/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Ping Li & Wei Shu & Qingquan Tang & Ying Zheng, 2019. "Internal control and corporate innovation: evidence from China," Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(5), pages 622-642, September.
    3. Daniel F Heuermann & Johannes F Schmieder, 2019. "The effect of infrastructure on worker mobility: evidence from high-speed rail expansion in Germany," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 19(2), pages 335-372.
    4. Gabriel M Ahlfeldt & Arne Feddersen, 2018. "From periphery to core: measuring agglomeration effects using high-speed rail," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 18(2), pages 355-390.
    5. Chen, Deqiu & Ma, Yujing & Martin, Xiumin & Michaely, Roni, 2022. "On the fast track: Information acquisition costs and information production," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(2), pages 794-823.
    6. Dirk Czarnitzki & Hanna Hottenrott, 2011. "Financial Constraints: Routine Versus Cutting Edge R&D Investment," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(1), pages 121-157, March.
    7. James R. Brown & Steven M. Fazzari & Bruce C. Petersen, 2009. "Financing Innovation and Growth: Cash Flow, External Equity, and the 1990s R&D Boom," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(1), pages 151-185, February.
    8. Martínez Sánchez-Mateos, Héctor S. & Givoni, Moshe, 2012. "The accessibility impact of a new High-Speed Rail line in the UK – a preliminary analysis of winners and losers," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 105-114.
    9. Zhang, Xuezhi & Wu, Wenxin & Zhou, Zixun & Yuan, Lin, 2020. "Geographic proximity, information flows and corporate innovation: Evidence from the high-speed rail construction in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    10. Zhang, Rongxin & Aljumah, Ahmad Ibrahim & Ghardallou, Wafa & Li, Zeyun & Li, Jinhua & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier, 2023. "How economic development promotes the sustainability targets? Role of natural resources utilization," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    11. Dong, Xiao & Yu, Mingzhe, 2023. "Does FinTech development facilitate firms' innovation? Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    12. Chen, Hanwen & Liu, Siyi & Wang, Junjie & Wu, Zhijuan, 2022. "The effect of geographic proximity on corporate tax avoidance: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    13. Milani, Sahar & Neumann, Rebecca, 2022. "R&D, patents, and financing constraints of the top global innovative firms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 546-567.
    14. Liu, Qing & Ma, Hong, 2020. "Trade policy uncertainty and innovation: Firm level evidence from China’s WTO accession," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    15. Dong, Xiaofang & Zheng, Siqi & Kahn, Matthew E., 2020. "The role of transportation speed in facilitating high skilled teamwork across cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    16. Ajay Agrawal & Avi Goldfarb, 2008. "Restructuring Research: Communication Costs and the Democratization of University Innovation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(4), pages 1578-1590, September.
    17. James G. March, 1991. "Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 71-87, February.
    18. Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman, 1994. "Endogenous Innovation in the Theory of Growth," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 8(1), pages 23-44, Winter.
    19. Cornaggia, Jess & Mao, Yifei & Tian, Xuan & Wolfe, Brian, 2015. "Does banking competition affect innovation?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(1), pages 189-209.
    20. Koskinen, Kaj U. & Vanharanta, Hannu, 2002. "The role of tacit knowledge in innovation processes of small technology companies," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 57-64, November.
    21. Tim Loughran, 2008. "The Impact of Firm Location on Equity Issuance," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 37(1), pages 1-21, March.
    22. Gong, Tianyu & Wang, Xiaolei & Zhang, Li & Gao, Xuehao & Xie, En, 2023. "Symbolic or substantial? Different responses of state-owned and privately owned firms to government innovation policies," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    23. Contigiani, Andrea & Testoni, Marco, 2023. "Geographic isolation, trade secrecy, and innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(8).
    24. Joshua D. Coval & Tobias J. Moskowitz, 1999. "Home Bias at Home: Local Equity Preference in Domestic Portfolios," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(6), pages 2045-2073, December.
    25. Torfs, Wouter & Zhao, Liqiu, 2015. "Everybody needs good neighbors? Labor mobility costs, cities and matching," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 39-54.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Bin & Zhao, Qizi & Shahab, Yasir & Kumar, Satish, 2023. "High-speed rail construction and labor investment efficiency: Evidence from an emerging market," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Liu, Mengsha & Jiang, Yan & Wei, Xiaokun & Ruan, Qingsong & Lv, Dayong, 2023. "Effect of high-speed rail on entrepreneurial activities: Evidence from China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 87(PA).
    3. Xuanyi Chen & Qiliang Liu & Li Tian & Junbo Wang & Jian Xie, 2024. "Time distance and mutual fund holding horizon: Evidence from a quasi‐natural experiment setting of high‐speed railway opening," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 64(4), pages 4277-4312, December.
    4. Zhang, Xuezhi & Wu, Wenxin & Zhou, Zixun & Yuan, Lin, 2020. "Geographic proximity, information flows and corporate innovation: Evidence from the high-speed rail construction in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    5. Li, Ping & Wang, Yujing & Li, Meng & Gao, Haoyu, 2024. "The power of speed: High-speed railways and scientific research competitiveness in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    6. Nannan Yu & Tianhang Cui & Si Lv, 2023. "Does the High-Speed Rail Improve Employment in Peripheral Cities? Evidence From China’s Beijing–Shanghai HSR Line," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    7. Kang, Meiling & Li, Yucheng & Zhao, Zhongkuang & Song, Min & Yi, Jun, 2023. "Travel costs and inter-city collaborative innovation: Evidence of high-speed railway in China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 286-302.
    8. Zhang, Ping & Wang, Yiru & Gao, Jieying, 2023. "Going public and innovation: Evidence from the ChiNext stock market," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 586-613.
    9. Chen, Hongwen & Cheng, Ken & Zhang, Meiyang, 2023. "Does geographic proximity affect firms’ cross-regional development? Evidence from high-speed rail construction in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    10. Pietro Grandi & Jean Belin & Elisa Darriet & Marianne Guille, 2024. "SMEs, R &D financing, and credit shocks," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 325-347, June.
    11. Robert Huggins & Piers Thompson, 2015. "Entrepreneurship, innovation and regional growth: a network theory," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 103-128, June.
    12. Licheng Zheng & Delong Luo & Ruiqing Jiang & Xiaoyong Lu, 2025. "The Strategy of Speculative Innovation: the Result of Capital Misallocation and Defective Incentive Policy," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(3), pages 12317-12363, September.
    13. Bettina Becker, 2013. "The Determinants of R&D Investment: A Survey of the Empirical Research," Discussion Paper Series 2013_09, Department of Economics, Loughborough University, revised Sep 2013.
    14. Chen Wang & Jack Strauss & Lei Zheng, 2021. "High-Speed Railway Opening and Corporate Fraud," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-23, December.
    15. Ouyang, Caiyue & Xiong, Jiacai & Liu, Li & Yao, Jun, 2024. "Geographic proximity and trade credit: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    16. Yang, Xuehui & Zhang, Huirong & Li, Yan, 2022. "High-speed railway, factor flow and enterprise innovation efficiency: An empirical analysis on micro data," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PB).
    17. Astrid Kander & Josef Taalbi & Juha Oksanen & Karolin Sjöö & Nina Rilla, 2019. "Innovation trends and industrial renewal in Finland and Sweden 1970–2013," Scandinavian Economic History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 67(1), pages 47-70, January.
    18. Bottasso, Anna & Conti, Maurizio & Ferrara, Antonella Rita & Robbiano, Simone, 2023. "High-Speed Railways and Firms Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 16572, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Tan, Ruipeng & Pan, Lulu, 2024. "How high-speed railway expands beyond local knowledge search in interdisciplinary innovation: Evidence from China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 143-156.
    20. Baek, Jisun & Park, WooRam, 2022. "The impact of improved passenger transport system on manufacturing plant productivity," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4846-:d:1664013. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.