Market Integration and Patent Technology Transfer: An Empirical Test Based on the Urban Economic Coordination Conference of the Yangtze River Delta
LI Ying1, FAN Dongmei1, HUANG Xinfei2
1. School of International Economics and Politics, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang 330013, China; 2. School of International Finance, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
Abstract This study selects the Yangtze River Delta City Economic Coordination Council, a government collaboration mechanism, as an intervention event for market integration. Based on patent transfer data among 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2001 to 2018, a multi-period difference-in-differences model is employed to examine its impact on patent technology transfer. The results demonstrate that market integration has significantly promoted inter-city patent technology transfer, which is clearly manifested in the rising number of patent assignments. Further mechanism tests reveal that market integration under governmental coordination primarily operates through two channels: reducing technology transaction costs via information sharing and fostering a favorable environment of social trust, while also laying a more solid market foundation for technology transactions by deepening inter-city industrial specialization and reducing similarity in industrial and innovation structures among member cities. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of market integration is more pronounced in cities with stronger innovation foundations and higher levels of marketization. Moreover, membership in the Council not only significantly expands the number of entities participating in the technology transaction market but also markedly increases the frequency of cooperation among different entities. Therefore, it is essential to continuously advance the process of market integration, with emphasis on strengthening cross-regional information platform construction and industrial coordination planning, to systematically reduce technology transaction costs and enhance regional complementary advantages.
LI Ying,FAN Dongmei,HUANG Xinfei. Market Integration and Patent Technology Transfer: An Empirical Test Based on the Urban Economic Coordination Conference of the Yangtze River Delta. Economic Survey, 2026, 43(1): 03.
2026, Vol. 43 
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