Regional difference and convergence analysis of marine science and technology innovation efficiency in China

Based on panel data of 11 coastal provinces and cities in China during 2006?2015, stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) is used to calculate the efficiency of marine science and technology innovation in this study. Then, the regional differences and influencing factors of this efficiency are analyzed, and finally, a panel unit root test method is used to conduct a stochastic convergence analysis of the efficiency of marine science and technology innovation. According to the results, the overall marine science and technology innovation efficiency shows an upward trend during the statistical period and substantially differs among the 11 coastal provinces and cities. Among them, the 10-year average efficiency of marine science and technology innovation in Shandong province is the highest. In addition, there is a significant negative relation between the degree of government support and efficiency of marine science and technology innovation. The scale of marine scientific research institutions, structure of scientific research personnel, development degree of marine economy, and structure of marine industry have significant positive impacts on the marine scientific and technology innovation efficiency. In summary, there is no stochastic convergence among the Bohai Rim, Yangtze River Delta, and Pan-Pearl River Delta regions. Expanding the scale of marine scientific research institutions and promoting the development of senior personnel in the marine industry, development of marine secondary industries, and integration of marine science and technology innovation with economic development are expected to play positive roles in improving the marine science and technology innovation efficiency.