| Abstract: |
Knowledge spillovers have largely been studied as unintended externalities
diffusing through geographic proximity, while deliberate interregional
networks have been examined mostly through co-inventor ties rather than the
scientific layer carried by co-authored publications. This study asks whether
spillovers from interregional AI-related co-publications increase regional AI
patenting, and whether the ownership composition of regional R&D shapes the
capacity to capitalize on them. Using a network-econometric approach across 26
Chinese provincial-level regions from 2006 to 2020, we find that
co-publication spillovers foster AI patenting, but the returns concentrate
almost entirely in regions where privately owned enterprises dominate R&D,
reinforcing regional divergence. |