Modelling and Simulation of Collaborative Innovation System in Colleges and Universities Based on Interpreted Structural Equation Model

Our selection of the elements required for modelling and determining the relationship is based on related models and related research. There are many structural models proposed by scholars around the theme of the collaborative innovation system. Some scholars position universities, industry and government as a three-in-one innovation model. Some scholars believe that enterprises, universities, research institutes and the government are the four executive bodies of the innovation system, and there is a two-way connection between the four. Some scholars proposed that the regional innovation system environment includes a soothing environment and a hard environment. The peaceful environment includes the market environment, legal protection and innovation culture [6]. The hard environment includes the basic conditions of the city, such as information access, road traffic, economic aggregates and innovative talents. Some scholars place small and medium-sized enterprises in the centre of innovation subjects. The government, universities, scientific research institutions and social service systems provide resources, funds, services and innovation needs for small and medium-sized enterprises to innovate. Some scholars believe that enterprises are the core of technological innovation. Governments, universities, scientific research institutions and social intermediary service organisations provide enterprises with platform construction, technical support, service support and needs. Some scholars have proposed a framework for analysing industry-university-research collaborative innovation from the three levels: strategic collaboration, knowledge collaboration and organisational collaboration. For the first time, his analysis jumped out of the ‘main body’ thinking mode, putting the main content strategy, organisation and knowledge of the collaborative process in the first place. From his ‘Theoretical Framework of Industry-University-Research Collaborative Innovation’, the government's policies, projects and institutional mechanisms play a supporting role.

In contrast, the financial institutions of intermediary organisations play a supporting role. Some scholars believe that universities and scientific research institutions, enterprises, industries and governments form a ‘four-wheel’ driving model connected through trust, convergence, platform and extension mechanisms. Some scholars attribute the cooperation motivation of collaborative innovation to market motivation, technology motivation, organisation motivation and learning motivation. In the triple helix model, some scholars divide the enterprise dimension into two sub-categories: producer service industry and manufacturing industry. He believes that regional industrial collaborative innovation is accomplished through government, university, productive service industry, manufacturing and industrial interaction. In the ‘Double Diamond Model,’ enterprises, governments, universities, scientific research institutions and intermediary institutions are the main innovation entities [7]. The market, technological, policy system and social-cultural environments are the external environments of collaborative innovation, which play an intervening role in collaborative innovation. One has to summarise and sort out the elements and sources of the collaborative innovation system obtained from the previous research. The content includes the elements of the triple helix theory of mainstream research (industry-university-research), four main bodies (government-industry-university-research), five main bodies (government-industry-university-research funds), and six main elements (government-industry-university-research finance), as well as those in the field of research. Elements are related to the collaborative innovation system. According to the element relationship identified in the literature, we sorted out 39 elements of the collaborative innovation system (see Table 1).

First, establish the adjacency matrix. Establish the upper triangular relationship matrix based on the relationship of the element S_i, S_j(i, j = 1, 2,···, 39). See formula (1). Write the adjacency matrix A39×39 according to the upper triangular relation matrix. (1) {(1)Si×Sj,Si and Sj are related to each other;(2)Si∘Sj,Si and Sj are not related;(3)Si∧Sj,Si is related to Sj, and Sj has nothing to do with Si;(4)Si∨Sj,Sj is related to Si, and Si has nothing to do with Sj; \left\{ {\matrix{ {(1){S_i} \times {S_j},{S_i}{\kern 1pt} {\rm{and}}{\kern 1pt} {S_j}{\kern 1pt} {\rm{are}}\;{\rm{related}}\;{\rm{to}}\;{\rm{each}}\;{\rm{other}};} \hfill \cr {(2){S_i} \circ {S_j},{S_i}{\kern 1pt} {\rm{and}}{\kern 1pt} {S_j}{\kern 1pt} {\rm{are}}\;{\rm{not}}\;{\rm{related;}}} \hfill \cr {(3){S_i} \wedge {S_j},{S_i}{\kern 1pt} {\rm{is}}\;{\rm{related}}\;{\rm{to}}{\kern 1pt} {S_j},{\kern 1pt} {\rm{and}}{\kern 1pt} {S_j}{\kern 1pt} {\rm{has}}\;{\rm{nothing}}\;{\rm{to}}\;{\rm{do}}\;{\rm{with}}{\kern 1pt} \;{S_i};} \hfill \cr {(4){S_i} \vee {S_j},{S_j}{\kern 1pt} {\rm{is}}\;{\rm{related}}\;{\rm{to}}{\kern 1pt} {S_i},{\kern 1pt} {\rm{and}}{\kern 1pt} {S_i}{\kern 1pt} {\rm{has}}\;{\rm{nothing}}\;{\rm{to}}\;{\rm{do}}\;{\rm{with}}\;{\kern 1pt} {S_j};} \hfill \cr } } \right. Second, calculate the reachable matrix. The reachable matrix R is obtained by adding the adjacency matrix to the identity matrix after n − 1 times of operations. The reachable matrix conforms to the transition characteristics: (2) A1≠A2≠…≠Ar−1=Ar, r≤n−1 {A_1} \ne {A_2} \ne \ldots \ne {A_{r - 1}} = {A_r},\quad r \le n - 1 The formula n is the order of the matrix. A_r−1 = (A + I)^r−1 = R is calculated as: (3) A1≠A2≠…≠A10=A11=R {A_1} \ne {A_2} \ne \ldots \ne {A_{10}} = {A_{11}} = R The third is regional division. When dividing the area, it is necessary to divide the relationship between the elements into reachable and unreachable. We need to determine which elements are connected, that is, divide the system into several parts or sub-parts that are related. Determine the underlying elements through the operations on the lookahead set and the reachable set, and then determine the connectivity of these elements [8]. If the intersection of the reachable sets of the elements is empty, the elements belong to different connected domains, otherwise the same connected domain. Find the lowest element: (4) T={S3,S18,S19} T = \{ {S_3},{S_{18}},{S_{19}}\} Because of R(S₃) ∩ R(S₁₈) ≠ Φ. So S₃, S₁₈ belongs to the same connected domain. Similarly, S₃, S₁₈, S₁₉ belongs to the same connected domain. Then divide between levels. We divide all the elements in the system into different levels based on the reachability matrix. The different layer elements are obtained in turn as follows: (5) T={S3,S18,S19}; L1={S2,S11}; L2={S5,S7,S8,S9,S22}; L3={S13,S16}; L4={S25};L5={S20,S24}; L6={S7,S28}; L7={S21,S29,S33,S34}; L8={S23}; L9={S6,S26}; L10={S36};L11={S10,S12,S17}; L12={S14,S15,S27,S30,S32,S35}; L13={S31};L14={S1}; L15={S37,S38,S39}; \matrix{ {\,\;\;T = \{ {S_3},{S_{18}},{S_{19}}\} ;\quad {L_1} = \{ {S_2},{S_{11}}\} ;\quad {L_2} = \{ {S_5},{S_7},{S_8},{S_9},{S_{22}}\} ;} \hfill \cr {\;{L_3} = \{ {S_{13}},{S_{16}}\} ;\quad {L_4} = \{ {S_{25}}\} ;{L_5} = \{ {S_{20}},{S_{24}}\} ;\quad {L_6} = \{ {S_7},{S_{28}}\} ;} \hfill \cr {\;{L_7} = \{ {S_{21}},{S_{29}},{S_{33}},{S_{34}}\} ;\quad {L_8} = \{ {S_{23}}\} ;\quad {L_9} = \{ {S_6},{S_{26}}\} ;\quad {L_{10}} = \{ {S_{36}}\} ;} \hfill \cr {{L_{11}} = \{ {S_{10}},{S_{12}},{S_{17}}\} ;\quad {L_{12}} = \{ {S_{14}},{S_{15}},{S_{27}},{S_{30}},{S_{32}},{S_{35}}\} ;\quad {L_{13}} = \{ {S_{31}}\} ;} \hfill \cr {{L_{14}} = \{ {S_1}\} ;\quad {L_{15}} = \{ {S_{37}},{S_{38}},{S_{39}}\} ;} \hfill \cr } According to the calculation results, draw a hierarchical directed graph and then build a ‘collaborative innovation system structure model’ according to the system's hierarchical structure model (see Figure 1). Considering a feedback mechanism in the system, we added a feedback line (dotted line).

Fig. 1

The ‘collaborative innovation system structure model’ has the following two characteristics: First, it breaks through the subject constraints of the three-helix, four-subject, five-subject and six-subject conceptual models. It describes the collaborative innovation system more comprehensively. Second, it has a clear hierarchical structure, which is intuitive and easy for decision-makers to understand.

The collaborative innovation system is complex. The system includes 39 elements, divided into 17 layers. The layer with the most elements is the layer L₁₃, which has 6 elements. The layer with the fewest elements is the layer L₄, L₇, L₉, L₁₁, L₁₄, L₁₅, each with 1 element. There is a direct or indirect relationship between these elements and other elements. Factors such as the government, intermediaries, innovation resources, innovation platforms, financial institutions, etc., have a direct impact on ‘services’, and the direct influence factors of these factors become the indirect influence factors of ‘services’.

The collaborative innovation system has two characteristics: closed and open. From a static perspective, the ‘collaborative innovation system’ is an independent and closed system with innovation as the goal [9]. The constituent elements of the ‘collaborative innovation system’ originate from the interior of a certain region (organisation or department). From a dynamic perspective, developing the ‘collaborative innovation system’ is a process from small to large and weak to strong. A region (organisation or department) collaborative innovation system and B region (organisation or department) collaborative innovation system have energy exchange, information exchange and resource exchange, which restrict and influence each other. Therefore, in the context of economic integration, the construction of a ‘collaborative innovation system’ will inevitably take ‘openness’ as its main feature. It is necessary to achieve dynamic synergy in fields such as the world and the entire industry chain.

The collaborative innovation system includes seven functional modules (see Figure 2). They are innovation orientation, innovation subject, innovation resources, innovation environment, government functions, innovation capabilities and economic influence from bottom to top. These seven functional modules run around their respective centres. Still, there is a direct or indirect relationship with each other, which can drive the delicate operation of the large-scale system. The elements contained in each module are shown in Table 2.

Fig. 2

The innovation-oriented functional module is at the bottom layer of the diagram, and the content includes three elements: customers, competitors and innovation risks. Different customer groups have different needs at different stages, and they guide innovation subjects. To obtain a price advantage, SMEs will focus on innovation. The two grow together in the game. Innovation risk is a negative element that hinders innovation behaviour. The smaller the risk, the greater the motivation for innovation entities to innovate [10]. The main functional innovation modules are distributed in the figure's second, third, and eighth layers. The content includes six elements: organisations, enterprises, universities, research institutions, intermediary agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGO). ‘Innovation risk’ directly impacts companies, universities and research institutions, while the ‘demand’ generated by customers directly impacts companies, governments, universities and research institutions. The functional module of innovation capability is in the 13th layer of the figure. The content includes six elements: technological innovation, technological diffusion, capital investment, human resources, innovation network and innovation clusters. The innovation resource modules are distributed in the 8th, 9th and 13th layers of the figure, and the content includes the four elements of human resources, capital investment, technological innovation and service.

Innovation resources are an important source of regional innovation capabilities, but they are not the only source. Government function modules are distributed in the 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 13th layers, including six systems, culture, policy, service, market and innovation network elements. The government's influence on the industry is realised through the market as an element; the government's influence on the ‘innovation environment’ is realised through the ‘innovation platform’ as ‘service’ and then the ‘service’ as the ‘innovation environment’. The innovation environment modules are distributed in the first layer, the fourth layer, the sixth layer, the seventh layer, the eighth layer, the ninth layer and the tenth layer. The content includes culture, system, policy, market, financial institutions, competitors and innovation. The eight elements of platform and service. These are the soft elements of the innovation environment. The distribution of influencing economic modules is at the top layer (layer 16) of the graph, including three elements: economic growth, innovation performance and economic space. In addition, elements such as culture, learning, systems, cooperation motivation and common interests constitute a ‘synergy chain’ that guides collaborative innovation. Market, industry and division of labour have a relatively direct impact on innovation networks, technological innovation and human resources.

In addition to focusing on the main body of collaborative innovation, the operation of the guarantee system also needs to pay attention to nodes such as culture, environment, knowledge, resources and government.

To create an innovative cultural atmosphere, the concepts of encouraging innovation and tolerating failure must be placed in the same dimension, so we proceed from the following four aspects. The first is to give play to the role of the new and old media, set up a ‘civilian (grassroots) innovation model’ and increase the intensity of positive media coverage. The second is building a ‘crowd creation space’ network and physical platforms [13]. Establish a ‘Crowd Creation Space’ website, link it with national and provincial science and technology information and service platforms, and encourage small and micro technological innovation enterprises, innovative individuals and innovative teams to become platform members. The third is establishing a ‘real-name system idea bank’ and encouraging enterprises to write ‘war books.’ Welcome innovative individuals and innovative teams to actively prepare for the battle. Innovative, collaborative services are provided by technology exchanges, innovation stations, productivity centres, etc. The fourth is to promote the study of failure and establish a database of failure knowledge. Learn from the experience of the Japan Agency for the Promotion of Science and Technology (JST) in establishing a failed knowledge database. While encouraging failure studies, it collects failure cases in organisational innovation and conducts event descriptions and context analysis.

First, learn from the practice of establishing innovative engineering colleges in Europe and effectively integrate higher education, enterprises and research institutions around important areas of future development. Aiming at the key areas of China's next innovation and development stage, relying on the well-known university platform to establish the ‘China Institute of Innovation and Technology’ to form 10 knowledge and innovation communities (KICs). We need to achieve two goals: to gather global talents and use national and departmental projects to support mobile projects. This rapidly improves China's level in these key research areas. The second is to cultivate top entrepreneurial talents through entrepreneurship education and reform higher education courses and teaching models to drive higher education reform. In this way, it promotes the combination of theory and practice. Also play the role of the patent alliance as a link.

We need to use environmental synergy to drive the sharing of tacit knowledge. First, start the apprenticeship model among the innovative subjects, and promote the dissemination of knowledge among individuals by ‘passing and leading.’ Second, pay attention to the impact of uncoded knowledge on the collaborative innovation system, and create a soft and hard environment conducive to spreading tacit knowledge. In terms of the hard environment, it is necessary to create a good production and living environment for innovative people and provide more room for development. Create a slow culture in innovation resource clusters such as industrial, innovation and technology parks. High-end service carriers such as water bars, book bars, tea rooms, coffee houses, Internet bars and cultural salons provide innovative groups convenient for communication and leisure. A peaceful environment, industry associations, technology alliances, seminars, etc., can provide in-depth communication opportunities for innovative groups.