Can Open Public Data Drive Green Technological Innovation in Enterprises? Evidence from China

Leveraging a unique dataset from 3,567 Chinese A-share listed companies (2010-2020), this study examines the impact of public data openness on corporate green technological innovation. Treating the staggered introduction of public data openness policies as a quasi-natural experiment, we estimate staggered difference-in-differences (DID) and propensity score matching DID (PSM-DID) models and conduct mechanism analyses. The findings indicate that: (1) Public data openness is positively associated with corporate green technology innovation, with robustness confirmed through multiple sensitivity analyses including instrumental variable estimation; (2) This effect operates through two channels: accelerating digital transformation and facilitating green transition; (3) The positive effect is more pronounced for utility model patents than for invention patents, suggesting that public data currently supports incremental process optimization rather than fundamental breakthroughs; (4) Heterogeneity analysis reveals stronger effects on private enterprises and non-polluting industries, with larger effects in regions receiving lower government environmental attention. This paper contributes to understanding how public data, as an emerging production factor, shapes corporate green innovation through knowledge recombination and informational governance channels.