From innovation network to public health benefit: evolutionary characteristics and optimization of the biomedical industry innovation network in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

INTRODUCTION: As a core component of strategic emerging industries, the biomedical industry serves as a key indicator of regional scientific and technological innovation capacity and industrial competitiveness. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region possesses inherent advantages for development, including abundant research resources, a solid industrial foundation, and vast market potential. However, it also faces structural challenges such as insufficient collaboration within innovation networks and resource misallocation.

METHODS: Based on multi-source data, including patent data and enterprise panel data from 2013 to 2023, this paper systematically analyzes the evolutionary characteristics of the BTH biomedical industry innovation network and identifies obstacles to its high-quality development. Methods such as social network analysis (SNA), the Temporal Exponential Random Graph Model (TERGM), and an obstacle degree model are employed.

RESULTS: The study finds that the regional innovation network has evolved from a "dual-core monopoly" (2013-2018) to a "Beijing-Tianjin-Xiong'an triangle structure" emerging by 2023 forming a multi-level collaborative pattern. However, the main obstacles lie in the low efficiency of R&D personnel, insufficient conversion of patent revenue, and inadequate cross-regional policy coordination, with disconnections existing in the "R&D-conversion-industrialization" chain.

DISCUSSION: To address these issues, this paper proposes strengthening the precise division of labor system: "Beijing for R&D, Tianjin for conversion, and Hebei for manufacturing" to improve full-chain innovation services to bridge conversion gaps, optimizing resource allocation to resolve mismatches, and implementing differentiated policies. From a public health perspective, these measures are designed to shorten the R&D-to-registration cycle, lower the cost of essential medicines, and reduce interregional health disparities. By accelerating the translation of biomedical innovations into accessible diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics, the optimized innovation network can directly enhance regional health security and epidemic response capacity. This aims to promote high-quality and coordinated regional industrial development, ultimately con tributing to improved public health outcomes by accelerating the translation of R&D into accessible diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics, and strengthening regional health security.