A Study on the Spatial–Temporal Evolution of Innovation Efficiency in Chinese Universities in the Context of the Digital Economy

With the rapid development of knowledge and the digital economy, it is a crucial to understand the role of the digital economy in improving the innovation efficiency of universities. Using the panel data of universities in 31 Chinese provinces from 2013 to 2020, this paper measures the regional innovation efficiency of Chinese universities and examines the impact of the digital economy on universities’ innovation by employing the super-efficiency DEA model along with the Malmquist index, kernel density estimation and Theil index. The analysis shows the following: (1) The digital economy has a significant positive impact on the efficiency of university innovation, but there is still much room for improvement. (2) In terms of the dynamic evolution of innovation efficiency, Chinese university performance shows a trend toward declining innovation efficiency, and the issue of inadequate investment in technical innovation is discovered, which urgently needs to be addressed. The findings of this paper offer empirical support for understanding the relationship between digital economy growth and university innovation productivity with important ramifications for the innovative expansion of higher education institutions in emerging nations.