Exploring the relationship between urban shrinkage and innovation network: A case study of the three northeastern provinces of China

In recent years, shrinking cities have proliferated across China, with the three northeastern provinces experiencing the most significant population declines. These regions are struggling with structural deterioration and urgently need to transition their development models to strengthen innovation capacities. Innovation networks, as key carriers of knowledge, technology, and resources, play a crucial role in supporting urban transformation. This study, based on panel data from prefecture-level cities and patent application and publication flow data spanning from 2008 to 2023, investigates the relationship between shrinking cities and innovation networks. The findings reveal that: (1) innovation network density in the three proviences of China has increased, with expanding external nodes and strong connections to regions east of the “Hu Huanyong Line,” while links to the west remain sparse; (2) within the three provinces, non-shrinking cities experience faster innovation network centrality growth compared to shrinking cities; (3) urban population size is positively correlated with innovation network centrality in both shrinking and non-shrinking cities. However, in shrinking cities, population size does not significantly contribute to innovation network centrality enhancement. The study concludes that innovation networks in shrinking cities can still thrive, suggesting the need for adjusted innovation policies and enhanced cooperation to promote urban revitalization.