The spatio-temporal characteristics and dynamic evolution of coupling and coordinated development of innovation factor allocation and green economy in China

Introduction Measuring the coupling coordination degree between the innovation factor allocation system and the green economy development system, and deeply exploring the changing trends in the coupling coordination between innovation factors allocation, including their subsystems, and green economy development, are essential prerequisites for achieving a high degree of coupling coordination between the two systems. Methods This paper, based on panel data from 30 provincial regions in China from 2013 to 2022, measures the coupling coordination degree between innovation factor allocation and green economy development, including their subsystems, and explores the spatial differentiation characteristics of this coupling coordination across the provinces in China and its three major regions. First, an evaluation index system for the innovation factor allocation system and the green economy development system is constructed from both input and output perspectives. The entropy weighted TOPSIS method and the coupling coordination degree model are then employed to explore the temporal characteristics of the coupling coordination between innovation factor allocation and green economy development. Second, Dagum's Gini coefficient is used to reveal the directional distribution of coupling coordination and the sources of spatial disparities. Third, kernel density estimation and spatial Markov chain methods are applied to uncover the dynamic evolution of this coupling coordination. Results and discussion The study finds that the overall coupling coordination degree between innovation factor allocation and green economy development in China is relatively low, but it exhibits a continuous upward trend. From the perspective of regional disparities, the coupling level between innovation factor allocation and green economy development across Chinese provinces shows an imbalanced spatial distribution, characterized by higher levels in the east and lower levels in the west, with spatial disparities tending to widen. Inter-regional differences are the primary source of these spatial disparities, followed by intra-regional differences. While internal disparities within Eastern China are narrowing, they are expanding within the Central and Western China. The development processes in these regions are often influenced by neighboring spatial spillover effects. Finally, recommendations are proposed to enhance the coupling coordination degree between innovation factor allocation and green economy development in China.