IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v12y2025i1d10.1057_s41599-025-05109-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Band together or go it alone? Climate risk and corporate collaborative innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Qiuyue Zhang

    (Beijing University of Technology)

  • Yili Lin

    (University of Jinan)

  • Yueying Wang

    (Beijing University of Technology)

  • Yu Cao

    (Renmin University of China)

Abstract

Corporations are under increasing pressure to adapt their strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate risk. This study explores the theoretical and empirical relationship between climate risk and corporate collaborative innovation, highlighting the mechanisms involved. Theoretical analysis suggests that climate risk, by intensifying stranded assets and cross-risks, acts as a compensatory driver for collaborative innovation among corporations. Digital transformation strengthens this compensatory mechanism, while corporate risk-taking diminishes its impact. Empirical analysis using data from Chinese A-share listed companies supports the theoretical framework, revealing that climate risk compels companies to “band together” for technological advancement to manage external challenges. The mediating effect of digital transformation enhances the flow of innovation elements among firms, bolstering collaborative innovation, whereas risk-taking weakens this effect. This paper deepens the understanding of how climate risk shapes corporate strategy. It provides practical insights for corporate strategists seeking collaborative responses to environmental volatility and supports policymakers in designing sustainability-oriented policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Qiuyue Zhang & Yili Lin & Yueying Wang & Yu Cao, 2025. "Band together or go it alone? Climate risk and corporate collaborative innovation," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-05109-y
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05109-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-025-05109-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-025-05109-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    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:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-05109-y. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.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.