The Impact of Innovation Environment on the Quality of Innovation in National Key Laboratories: A Comparative Study Based on Multiple Cases

This study aims to explore the impact of the innovation environment on the quality of innovation in National Key Laboratories (NKLs). Utilizing annual report data from 685 NKLs in China between 2018 and 2022, regression analysis was conducted using SPSS software to examine the effects of the innovation environment on innovation output and diffusion. The results reveal that the innovation environment score (IE) has a significant positive impact on both innovation output (IP) and innovation diffusion (ID), with coefficients of 0.638 and 0.356, respectively, both significant at the 1% level (p < 0.01). Additionally, laboratory size (SIZE), national project funding (NPF), and the City Technology Innovation Index (CTII) also exhibit significant positive effects on innovation output and diffusion. The study indicates that a larger laboratory scale, a higher levels of national project funding, and a favorable city technology innovation environment contribute to enhancing the innovation quality of NKLs. This paper is pioneering in selecting NKLs as the research subject and confirms the significant impact of the innovation environment on the innovation quality of these laboratories, thereby extending the research scope on the influence of the innovation environment on the quality of innovation within research organizations. The findings provide empirical support and policy recommendations for the construction and management of NKLs..