Measurement of Urban Innovation Efficiency Levels and Influencing Factors in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

As the intersection of the “Belt and Road” and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration holds a crucial position in the national development framework. This paper utilizes panel data on innovation inputs and outputs from 26 cities within the YRD urban agglomeration to assess the innovation efficiency of the region from 2011 to 2022. The analysis employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and examines the factors influencing factors of innovation efficiency by using the Spatial Durbin Model. The findings indicate that: (1) From 2011 to 2022, the overall innovation efficiency of the YRD urban agglomeration exhibited a trend of gradual increase with fluctuations; (2) During the same period, the innovation efficiency of YRD cities displayed a spatial pattern of decline radiating from central cities such as Suzhou and Wuxi, with Chuzhou and Jinhua serving as peripheral nodes; (3) Factors such as the level of economic development, local government support, industrial foundation, financial development, and labor quality significantly impact local innovation efficiency.