Mechanism analysis of collaborative innovation in strategic emerging industry clusters: a tripartite evolutionary game perspective

This study investigates how government and cluster governance organizations jointly promote sustained collaborative innovation in China's strategic emerging industry clusters (SEICs) through internal and external intervention mechanisms. The findings indicate that combining government intervention with governance constraints significantly enhances ongoing collaborative innovation. Government intervention is most effective at the initial stage, whereas governance organizations play a leading role in ensuring long-term stability as the system develops. Joint intervention produces the most substantial effect: a 'high government – low governance' approach is beneficial in the short term, while 'low government – high governance' is key for long-term collaboration. By introducing cluster governance organizations as dynamic and independent participants, this study provides a novel perspective on the configuration and evolution of collaborative innovation in SEICs, clarifies the distinct roles of different intervention mechanisms, and deepens the theoretical understanding of multi-actor collaboration. The study recommends strengthening co-governance, dynamically optimizing incentives and constraints, and enhancing governance capacity to improve the sustainability of innovation ecosystems within SEICs.