How multiple pressures shape enterprises’ Innovation Paths? A case analysis of China’s NEV sector

Within sustainable innovation ecosystems, firm innovation is not a linear outcome of isolated factors but a configurational outcome shaped by the alignment of multiple institutional pressures and environmental factors. However, studies frequently overlook the configurational effects of these diverse pressures and their complex evolutionary dynamics across the industry lifecycle. To address this gap, this study develops a hybrid analytical framework comprising dynamic fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory-adversarial interpretive structure modeling based on reverse deduction. This framework identifies configurations of innovation outcomes and subsequently deconstructs the causal structures of the underlying pressures, elucidating the mechanisms of innovation ecosystems. Applying this framework to China’s new-energy-vehicle industry, we identify three distinct yet functionally equivalent paths leading to high-level innovation: responsibility buffering, the dual drive of policy and resources, and multidimensional pressure linkage. Further, we find that innovation ecosystems evolve in three stages—namely, regulatory dominance, market-imitation synergy, and multipressure synergy. These multiple pressures within the ecosystem are not equally influential but form a core-periphery hierarchical topology: Policy-induced pressure is the fundamental factor setting legitimacy boundaries, while normative pressure is a surface-level factor guiding technological development. This study reveals the structural synergies within innovation ecosystems, offering both an explanatory framework for and practical insights into how enterprises select innovation paths under complex institutional and resource conditions.