The Impact of Technology Convergence on the Sustainable Innovation of China’s Modern Manufacturing Enterprises: The Mediating Role of the Knowledge Base

Abstract

Against the backdrop of swiftly changing industrial environments, this study aims to investigate the influence of technology convergence on the sustainable innovation of manufacturing enterprises. The purpose of this research is to determine the future competitiveness and expansion potential of industries by evaluating the impact of technological convergence on innovation performance, which serves as a significant metric for assessing the sustainability of corporate innovation practices. Specifically, the relationships among three characteristics of technological convergence and enterprise innovation performance—betweenness, closeness, and clustering—are analyzed. Using the financial, property, and patent data of listed companies in China’s automotive manufacturing industry, an empirical study is conducted using a negative binomial regression model. Enhancing all three technology convergence characteristics is found to be conducive to enhancing sustainable innovation. Meanwhile, the corporate knowledge base plays a mediating role in which the effect of knowledge base width on clustering technology integration is more strongly mediated by the effect of knowledge base depth on approaching technology integration. The results of this study are useful for policymakers, corporate strategists, and innovation managers who are looking to enhance sustainable innovation practices within their organizations. By understanding the critical roles of betweenness, closeness, and clustering in technological convergence, stakeholders can better position their firms to leverage these attributes for improved innovation performance and competitive advantage.