An Empirical Study On The Effect Of Knowledge Transfer On Open Innovation In Eco-industrial Clusters

In the fierce market competition, industrial cluster has gradually become one of the main forms to develop regional economy and to promote the regional competitiveness. However, with the formation and development of industrial clusters, the phenomenon of excessive use of resources and excessive emissions of waste restricts the sustainable development of industrial clusters. It has become the main problem in need of solution of how to balance the regional ecological environment at the same time to ensure the sustainable development of the regional economy. Eco-industrial clusters emerge as the times require, and have become one of the effective ways to solve the contradiction between economic development and environmental protection. Enterprises are the main elements of eco-industry clusters, enterprises’ business activities and the development of eco-industry clusters are closely related. From the perspective of enterprises, only through continuous innovation can enterprises show the talent of itself in the fierce international competition. However, under the background of specialized labor division becoming more and deeper and product update cycle becoming more and shorter, enterprise is difficult to grasp all the elements of the innovation required. It has become an effective way to acquire innovation resources from outside to solve the lack of enterprise innovation elements. Some scholars call this new mode of innovation as open innovation. Open innovation has gradually become the main mode of innovation of enterprises in eco-industrial clusters. As related research pointed, the nature of open innovation is knowledge transfer. The age of the knowledge economy background also determines that only through effective knowledge transfer can enterprises maintain and enhance their core competitiveness to remain invincible in the fierce competition in the market. Therefore, research of the impact on open innovation of knowledge transfer in eco-industrial clusters has important theoretical significance to promote open innovation effectively and to improve the regional core competitiveness.Firstly, this paper reviews the related research of eco-industrial clusters, knowledge transfer and open innovation. On this basis, it has studied on and summarized the trend of knowledge transfer in eco-industrial clusters and open innovation, and puts forward the research question of this paper in the process of literature review.Secondly, on the basis of literature research, knowledge transfer in eco-industrial clusters and traditional industrial clusters are comparatively analyzed. The influence factors of knowledge transfer in eco-industrial clusters are summarized. And it establishes the process model of knowledge transfer, analyzes the elements of open innovation, and summarizes the influencing factors of open innovation in eco-industrial clusters, and lays a theoretical foundation for the following research.Thirdly, this paper establishes a system dynamics model of knowledge transfer impacting on open innovation in eco-industrial clusters. From three angles of knowledge transfer effectiveness and efficiency and knowledge transfer network structure, it analyses the influence on open innovation of knowledge transfer in eco-industrial clusters, establishes a feedback structure of causality model between the influence factors and the open innovation. According to the causality model, it analyzes the feedback structure of the system using the method of system module analysis, and puts forward the theoretical hypothesis of this research.Finally, this paper uses the method of questionnaire investigation to verify the above proposed theoretical assumptions one by one. According to the above theoretical assumptions and with the reference to the relevant research results, it has formed a questionnaire of this paper. And it determines the final questionnaire after a preliminary distribution and modification of questionnaire. Through the questionnaire survey and data regression analysis, the results show:the transfer motivation of the sender, the receiving motivation and absorptive capacity of the receiver, and knowledge stock have positive influence on the breadth of open innovation; knowledge tacitness, changing of knowledge transfer network structure have negative effect on the breadth of open innovation; the transfer motivation and release ability of the sender, the receiving motivation and absorptive capacity of the receiver, trust and knowledge stock have positive influence on the depth of open innovation; knowledge tacitness, changing of knowledge transfer network structure have negative effect on the depth of open innovation. The release ability of the sender, trust and technical support effecting on the breadth of open innovation and technical support effecting on the depth of open innovation are not supported, and it needs for further research.In addition, according to the results of empirical analysis, this paper puts forward4management countermeasures about knowledge transfer to promote the open innovation in eco-industrial clusters, respectively is:(1) establish incentive mechanism of knowledge transfer in eco-industrial clusters;(2) establish knowledge sharing platform in eco-industrial clusters;(3) establish trust system of knowledge transfer in eco-industrial clusters;(4) stabilize the organizational structure among enterprises in eco-industrial clusters, and in order to provide theoretical reference for regional management.