Inter-city innovation linkage and its spatial structure in megalopolis: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta, China

Gravity model has been introduced in several spatial interaction studies, especially in trade relationship, migration and transport activities on different geographic levels. But there is still little research focus on inter-city spatial linkage of innovation activities in a certain region. Within this context, we are seeking to gain a new perspective, while using a developed gravity model and spatial analysis tool (GIS) to explore the spatial structure of urban innovation activities in a special region-megalopolis. In this paper the special case of the Yangtze River Delta is analyzed with regard to the innovation interaction between 25 cities, and in particular, the underlying spatial linkages and urban hierarchy of innovation activities. The conclusions not only shed light on the spatial path for interregional innovation integration and collaboration for the case study area but also lead to further studies on the spatial features of inter-city innovation activity at the megalopolis level.