Technological diversification in China: the role of intra- and extra-regional collaboration

This study investigates how intra- and extra-regional collaborations affect regional technological diversification in Chinese urban regions (URs), using a continuous indicator that places diversification along a spectrum from related to unrelated. Based on patent co-application data from 2001 to 2020, we analyse the intensity, technological diversity and the correlation of intra- and extra-regional collaborations. Our results show that the effects of (1) intra-regional collaboration intensity on related diversification and (2) extra-regional collaboration diversity on unrelated diversification are both curvilinear. In addition, extra-regional intensity and the correlation between intra- and extra-regional collaborations foster related diversification. Moreover, economic disparities within URs reinforce, rather than weaken, the positive influence of intra-regional intensity and intra–extra technological correlation on related diversification. These results challenge conventional assumptions and highlight the importance of coordinated collaboration structures in promoting regional diversification, especially under uneven regional development conditions.