Research on China's innovation capability: Spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors based on spatial perspective analysis

• This study confirms that the inter provincial innovation capability in China continues to improve, but there is a polarization phenomenon. • The inter provincial innovation capability in China shows an uneven development in time and space, with a certain degree of spatial agglomeration. • Human capital, Internet applications, the number of innovative enterprises and the educational environment all affect inter provincial innovation capability to varying degrees. Innovation serves as the core of national and regional development, and enhancing innovation capability is crucial for the implementation of innovation-driven development strategy. Based on the comparative analysis of the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of innovation capability in 31 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) in China, this paper summarizes and sorts out the status of China's inter-provincial innovation capability level, and conducts a statistical analysis of its influencing factors with the help of a spatial econometric model. The research reveals that China's inter-provincial innovation capabilities keep improving continuously, while the regional innovation capabilities vary greatly; China's inter-provincial innovation capabilities show a decreasing trend from the eastern coastal areas to the western inland areas, with a certain degree of spatial agglomeration; human capital, Internet application, number of innovative enterprises and educational environment are the main factors that have influence on China's inter-provincial innovation capabilities. Human capital, number of innovative enterprises and educational environment have a positive, stimulative effect on the regional innovation capabilities of the province. Internet application has a positive effect on the innovation capabilities of neighboring provinces. Educational environment has a negative, inhibitory effect on the innovation capability of neighboring provinces. The marginal contribution of this study lies in showing the characteristics and influencing factors of China's inter-provincial innovation capacity, and providing referential suggestions for the improvement of regional innovation capacity in other countries and regions.