Enhancing Basic Research Investment in Chinese Enterprises:A Pathway Analysis
In recent years,amidst burgeoning investments in fundamental research across diverse sectors,the issue of attracting basic research investment at the Chinese enterprise level has become a focal point of extensive scholarly atten-tion.This raises several critical questions:What motivates enterprises to allocate resources to basic research endeavors?How can enterprises increase their expenditure on basic research?What are the exact pathways for Chinese enterprises to pursue to enhance their investments in basic research?This research embarks on a comprehensive exploration of these multifaceted questions.Based on these inquiries,our study commences with a preliminary analysis,investigating the reasons behind enterpris-es supporting basic research(necessity analysis)and the ways in which enterprises participate in basic research(reality analysis),which indicates enterprises are both motivated and equipped with the means to support the development of basic research.Yet from the standpoint of feasibility analysis,there remains an area worthy of further exploration.Therefore,our study continues with a comparative analysis that delves into the characteristics of basic research investments,with a particular focus on practices in China and the United States.Through this comparative lens,the research illustrates the nu-ances in the structure of basic research expenditure between Chinese and American enterprises.Subsequently,from indi-vidual industry perspective,the research conducts a configurational analysis focusing on the improvement of enterprise ex-penditure in basic research.To address this issue,the research employs the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis meth-od and integrate empirical findings with industrial distribution theory,conducting a comprehensive configurational path-way analysis of the factors influencing basic research expenditure across 38 diverse industries within the Chinese context.The research reveals the following findings:(1)Basic research investment at the Chinese enterprise level exhibits characteristics of:(a)a relatively modest total investment volume;(b)a limited share of basic research expenditure in the overall societal context;(c)insufficient degree of emphasis on basic research expenditure;and(d)considerable disparities in both expenditure and degree of emphasis among various industries.To be more specific,over the years,the basic research expenditure of Chinese enterprises has been less than 5％.De-spite a recent increase,escalating from 1.77％in 2011 to 6.52％in 2019,the proportion of basic research responsibilities undertaken by Chinese enterprises still lags behind than the American counterpart.In terms of the demand for basic research,Chinese and American enterprises generally maintain a similar level.How-ever,when examining the emphasis degree of basic research at the enterprise level,substantial differences emerge:the Chi-nese enterprises mostly fall within the range of 10％or lower,with the majority of industries maintaining levels around 1％;in contrast,American enterprises fall within the range between 20％～30％range.Regarding industry types,within the Chinese manufacturing sector,enterprises exhibit a higher demand but lower emphasis for basic research compared to non-manufacturing counterparts.(2)The factors influencing basic research expenditure for Chinese enterprises are markedly influenced by industry dy-namics:Industries characterized by both labor-intensity and resource-dependence should consider expanding their portfolio of R&D institutions to bolster enterprise-level research capabilities;Industries characterized by both energy-intensity and consumption-areas should strive for long-term and steadfast support for basic research while increasing their degree of em-phasis on this domain;High-tech industries and energy-intensive industries can benefit from an expanded volume of R&D institutions,the infusion of high-caliber research talents,and a heightened degree of emphasis on basic research;In the case of transportation hub-centric industries,a stronger degree of emphasis on basic research is highly advisable.In conclusion,The research yields pertinent insights into the enhancement of basic research expenditure for Chinese enterprises.Building upon these findings,the research underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of the drivers and challenges within this context and offers valuable policy implications for stakeholders aiming to optimize basic re-search expenditure at the Chinese enterprise level.
Chinese enterprisesbasic research investmentpathway analysis
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