Spatial Network Structure and Effects of Innovation Factor Flows in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Abstract

Innovation in the Yangtze River Delta is increasingly organized through intercity flows of talent, capital, technology, data and institutional resources rather than through isolated local accumulation. This paper examines the spatial network structure of these innovation factor flows and discusses their developmental effects across the urban agglomeration. Drawing on economic geography, network theory and Chinese regional integration studies, the paper argues that the Yangtze River Delta has evolved toward a polycentric but hierarchically differentiated innovation system centered on Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and several strong intermediate cities. Different factors display distinct mobility logics: venture capital and platform resources are more concentrated in leading nodes, while knowledge exchange, manufacturing collaboration and applied innovation can diffuse through specialized industrial chains. The developmental effect of the network is therefore contingent, not automatic. It depends on absorptive capacity, institutional compatibility, transport and digital infrastructure, and the strategic positioning of intermediate cities. The study concludes that deeper regional innovation integration requires not only stronger metropolitan cores but also governance mechanisms that reduce friction, widen participation and transform intercity linkage into durable innovation capability.