Analysis Of The Input Elements And Dynamic Grouping Of Technological Innovation In Manufacturing Firms

Technological innovation in manufacturing enterprises is important for building strong manufacturing country.The 2022 China Manufacturing Power Development Index report points that there is a large gap in the development of innovation capacity between regions.The overall innovation capacity of manufacturing enterprises is less strong,90% of large high-quality castings depend on imports.The Blue Book on Quality Management in Chinese Manufacturing Enterprises(2021)also shows that the reliability index of some machine tools is less than 1/10 of the international level,the percentage of new products developed for three consecutive years is less than 25%.Therefore,it is vital for manufacturing companies to develop technological innovation.Technological innovation is a complex and cumulative process,it requires the input of multiple factors.There is a wealth of research on technological innovation in manufacturing firms,they discuss the input and external elements,internal input elements include entrepreneurs,R&D talent,R&D funding and digital inputs,external input elements include talent and financial input from universities,government and banks,but the results of them are inconsistent.The reason is that content examines a single or two element and ignore the dynamic and continuous process.Based on technological innovation theory and resource-based theory,this study addresses two main questions.Firstly,what are the input factors for manufacturing firms to undertake technological innovation.Secondly,which combinations of input factors can result in high level of innovation.In order to solve the above problems,this study firstly analyzes the process of technological innovation in manufacturing enterprises by the multi-case comparative analysis method.The cases include Shangshang Cable Group,Sany Group,Xugong Group,and Yuyue Medical.Secondly,based on data from a sample of 71 listed manufacturing firms,this study used linear growth QCA approach to analyse the combination of input factors for sustained technological innovation.Through above method this study gets conclusion.Firstly,the input elements of technological innovation in manufacturing enterprises include talents,capital and knowledge technology.Talents include entrepreneurial innovation focus and R&D talents.Capital includes R&D funds and government R&D subsidies.Knowledge technology resources relate to industry-university cooperation and digitisation levels.Secondly,there are four paths to generate sustained level of innovation,including long-term high input of talents and capital,stable high input of intellectual capital,continuous external resources and stable balanced input.Thirdly,Entrepreneur innovation focus is the core prerequisite for innovation in all paths.The findings of this study provide management practices for manufacturing firms.First,manufacturing companies need a sustained input element,they can promote innovation and improve risk aversion.Second,manufacturing enterprises should optimize the combination of factors.Each manufacturing company has different ability to input factors,and managers need to choose the right combination of factors based on their resources.Third,entrepreneurs should focus on technological innovation,grasp the strategy and direction of innovation development.