The Effect of R&D Input and Financial Agglomeration on the Growth Private Enterprises: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Industry

Technological innovation is an important factor in the growth of private enterprises, and technological innovation requires strong financial support. How to use financial tools to promote research and development (R&D) input at private enterprises has become an urgent issue. This article analyzes the influence of provincial and prefectural financial agglomeration and R&D input on the growth of private enterprises, using panel data on Chinese private enterprises in manufacturing from 2007 to 2015. We reached the following conclusions. First, the promotion of financial agglomeration and R&D input have a positive impact on the growth of private enterprises. Second, the impact of financial agglomeration on private enterprises is inversely related to the scale of private enterprises—that is, the larger the scale of enterprises, the smaller the impact of financial agglomeration on the growth of private enterprises. Third, financial agglomeration did not promote growth at private enterprises by increasing R&D input. Financial agglomeration can increase the absolute amount of R&D input; however, it will reduce the intensity of R&D input. Financial agglomeration, R&D input, and the growth of enterprises do not create their own virtuous circle, and they fail to provide financial support for technological innovation.