The impact of marine technological innovation on the upgrade of China's marine industrial structure

China's national marine economic strategy aims to address the urgent need to shift the country's marine economic development toward quality-oriented growth, taking marine science and technology innovation as the core driving force, promoting the upgrade of the marine industrial structure, and providing new growth impetus for the development of the marine economy. Based on panel data for 11 coastal areas in China from 2006 to 2017, this paper constructs panel fixed effect model and random effect model to measure marine science and technology innovation and the level of rationalization and advancement of the marine industrial structure and explores the impact of such innovation on the upgrade of the sector's industrial structure. The results show that (1) there are large gaps in the level of marine industrial structure rationalization across coastal areas, though the relative gaps in industrial structure advancement are small; and (2) marine science and technology innovation plays a significant role in promoting rationalization and advancement of the marine industrial structure. Finally, according to the research results, we put forward suggestions to promote the optimization and upgrading of marine industrial structure: we should strengthen the ability of marine science and technology innovation, attach importance to the cultivation of marine science and technology talents, improve the financial support for marine science and technology innovation, deepen international cooperation and maintain the “steady growth” of foreign investment.