How does the strength of local intellectual property protection affect open innovation in enterprises? -A case study of new energy vehicle industry in China

Against the backdrop of growing external environmental complexity and technological challenges, open innovation has become a key driver of industrial upgrading and technological advancement in China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) industry. While intellectual property (IP) protection is a critical consideration for enterprises adopting open innovation, its relationship with open innovation remains complex. Using the Tobit model, this study examines how IP protection influences open innovation in China’s NEV industry. The conclusions are as follows. (1) A significant inverted U-shaped relationship, where moderate IP protection promotes open innovation while excessive protection hinders it; (2) Technology transaction market effects serve as a key mediating mechanism; (3) Enterprise information transparency positively moderates this relationship; (4) The impact is more pronounced for firms with high institutional transaction costs and financing constraints. These findings clarify the optimal strength of IP protection, provide empirical evidence for the IP protection-open innovation nexus in the NEV industry, and offer policy implications for optimising the open innovation ecosystem.