Abstract In the context of the implementation of the “Network Power” strategy, this paper takes knowledge spillover as a starting point, constructs a quasi-natural experiment with the help of the “Broadband China” policy and investigate the effects and mechanisms of network infrastructure on urban innovation. There are following findings: (1) Network infrastructure has a significant knowledge spillover effect, which significantly improvesthe level of the local innovation level, and the findings are still valid under a series of robustness tests; (2) The promotion effect of network infrastructure on urban innovation has temporal heterogeneity, and the innovation effect first increases and then decreases with the passage of time, and reaches the maximum in the third year of network expansion (3) Spatial heterogeneity analysis finds that the innovation effect of network infrastructure construction is greater in the east, cities with larger city size and more developed transportation infrastructure; (4) The impact of network infrastructure on urban innovation has a spatial spillover effect, which is also has a positive impact on the innovation level of neighboring areas. If the spatial spillover effect is not considered, the enhancement effect of network infrastructure on local urban innovation will be overestimated. The above empirical findings provide important policy references for the “synergy effect” of the “strong network” and “strong innovation” strategies in the new era.
HE Xiaogang,GUO Xiaobin. Network Infrastructure, Knowledge Spillover and Urban Innovation: A Quasi-natural Experiment from the “Broadband China” Strategy. Economic Survey, 2023, 40(1): 036.
2023, Vol. 40 
