Regional innovation ability and its inequality: Measurements and dynamic decomposition

To bridge the research gap regarding the inequality of innovation ability, this paper proposes a more reasonable proxy indicator of research and development capital, applying the concentration index to quantify the inequality of regional innovation ability based on the regional economic levels in China and to dynamically decompose changes of regional innovation ability inequality. The study reveals that China's innovation ability has gradually improved, accompanied by significant regional agglomeration effects and widening regional gaps. The findings indicate that inequality of regional innovation ability in China remains high, and the correlation between the regional innovation ability and economic development level has increased. Improvement in the degree of synergy between regional economic development is conducive to alleviating the inequality of regional innovation ability, and cumulative innovation ability effects, particularly the scale factor, exacerbate the inequality of regional innovation ability. This research has important practical significance for policymakers and researchers seeking approaches to investigate and promote effective the coordinated development of regional innovation and improve the overall quality and efficiency of innovation ability.