Multiple pathways for improving innovative talents’ scientific and technological benefits from the perspective of innovation ecosystem: a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

Most existing scholarly research focuses on the linear relationships between individual innovation eco-elements and the S&T benefits of innovative talents. This study adopts a configurational perspective and employs the fsQCA method to explore how various elements within the innovation ecosystem interact and jointly influence the S&T benefits of innovative talents using 30 provinces in China as cases. Our findings reveal that the S&T benefits of innovative talents are influenced by the synergy of innovation subject, resource and environment. Moreover, the innovation subject, resource and environment synergistically produce four pathways to achieve the S&T benefits of innovative talents: ‘Policy-Supported Innovation Subject and Research Funding Synergy’, ‘Environment-Guaranteed Knowledge Innovation Subject and Innovation Resource Synergy’, ‘Environment-Guaranteed Technology Innovation Subject and Innovation Resource Synergy’ and ‘Subject-Lacked Infrastructure and Innovation Environment Combination’. The four pathways can lead to the S&T benefits of high innovative talents in different ways. We also found that although a single innovation ecological element cannot constitute a necessary condition for the S&T benefits of innovative talents, it can be seen by comparing different configurations that the innovation policy environment is more important for realising the S&T benefits of innovative talents. The research findings help to provide a scientific basis and practical guidance for regional innovation management and policy formulation.