The impact mechanism of high-speed railway on regional green innovation spillover under multi-dimensional paths

As a major technological innovation, high-speed railway (HSR) has profoundly influenced the regional sustainable development (i.e., economy, society, and ecology). Meanwhile, green innovation is a critical catalyst for sustainable development. However, the impact of HSR on regional green innovation has received little attention. To fill the research gap, this paper reveals the driving effects of HSR on regional green innovation spillover by employing the three heat transfer methods in physics. Specifically, Stackelberg game models are constructed to imitate the production and sales distribution strategies of two competitive firms in the conduction path and the convection path. Furthermore, the regional green innovation spillover model under the radiation path is constructed. The main findings are as follows: (1) HSR has a significant positive impact on regional green innovation spillover. (2) After the HSR opening, apart from production cost and spillover elasticity, production distribution and carbon emission may affect the choice of regional green innovation in the conduction path. Sales distribution and price elasticity may have significant effects on the choice of regional green innovation in the convection path. (3) The size of regional green innovation spillover from HSR depends on changes in the accessibility of central and peripheral areas. (4) The regional green innovation spillover is negatively correlated with distance to HSR stations in the radiation path. This research provides a theoretical basis for improving the HSR network. Suggestions are put forward on how to carry out green innovation activities effectively. Innovation-driven strategies are suggested to be prioritized.