How Regional Innovation Networks Foster Specialized, Refined, Differentiated, and Innovative Enterprises: A Dynamic QCA Analysis Based on Provincial Panel Data

Strengthening the development of Specialized, Refined, Differentiated, and Innovative (SRDI) enterprises has become a strategic priority for promoting the high-quality development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also plays an important role in upgrading the manufacturing sector and fostering new quality productive forces. Drawing on innovation network theory, this study develops an analytical framework comprising actor capability, resource base, and environmental conditions from the perspective of regional innovation networks. Using provincial panel data on national-level SRDI "Little Giant" enterprises across China's 31 provinces from 2019 to 2023, the study employs dynamic QCA to investigate the configurational pathways and temporal evolution through which regional innovation network elements jointly foster SRDI enterprise development. The results show that no single innovation network element constitutes a necessary condition for achieving a high level of SRDI enterprise development across different periods. However, the necessity of network actors' collaborative capability, regional innovation capacity, and regional R&D investment becomes increasingly evident over time. Four configurational pathways can be grouped into three development models: a comprehensive factor-synergy model, a capability-driven model, and a collaboration–investment synergy model. Based on these findings, the study offers policy recommendations for promoting the high-quality development of SRDI enterprises across different regions.