Substantive or strategic: R&D investment and green innovation in China higher education institutions

Purpose Research and development (R&D) investment strengthens universities’ research capacity by alleviating budget constraints and enabling sustained engagement in long-term projects. Design/methodology/approach Using data from Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs), the study links province-level R&D investment to university-level green innovation, measured by the number of university-originated patents. Findings The results indicate that higher R&D investment is associated with stronger green innovation performance. Heterogeneity analyses reveal varying associations across institutions, with more evident associations in state-owned universities and regular undergraduate institutions. The 985/non-985 comparison shows a more limited pattern, with significance only for granted green utility model patents among 985 HEIs. This finding aligns with differences in their governance capacity, baseline resource constraints and research labor structure. Extending the analysis to environmental outcomes suggests that increased university-level R&D investment does not necessarily influence provincial-level carbon emission intensity in the short term. Originality/value This study highlights how R&D investment can shape HEIs’ green innovation, emphasizing that translating outputs into substantive progress requires governance and diffusion mechanisms, while offering actionable insights for policymakers.