Network impact of green collaborative innovation on green total factor productivity: exploration of urban network location

Green collaborative innovation critically drives green total factor productivity (GTFP), yet its network impact on GTFP remains unsolved. Based on the urban green collaborative innovation (UGCI) networks constructed by 2011–2021 joint application green patent data from 189 cities, this study applies social network analysis to calculate degree and degree centrality to represent cities’ network location. By utilising two-way fixed effects and quantile regression models, we find that cities’ locations within the UGCI network significantly influence GTFP, as evidenced by the network’s continual expansion alongside pronounced increases in green innovation, particularly in eastern, central and parts of northern China. Besides, central cities in UGCI network consistently enhance GTFP, validated through robustness tests. Heterogeneity analysis elucidates how geographic location and COVID-19 affect GTFP. Mediation analysis identifies energy dependency reduction as a critical pathway for GTFP enhancement. These findings advance strategies for optimising green co-innovation and sustainable development.