The Dynamic Value of China’s High-Tech Zones: Direct and Indirect Influence on Urban Ecological Innovation

China’s High-tech Industrial Development Zones (HTZ) are industrial agglomeration areas established by the local government to foster economic innovation. As springboards for cities to implement innovation-driven development strategies, HTZs have significant spillover and driving effects on urban ecological innovation. Based on panel data taken from 215 cities between 2003 and 2016, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of HTZ construction and its mechanisms as they pertain to urban ecological innovation. This analysis is framed by the double difference model and the intermediary effect model. It found that HTZ construction can effectively enhance urban ecological innovation, and formidably promote ecological innovation in central and eastern cities, as well as cities with superior scientific and educational resources. The intermediary mechanism analysis revealed that HTZs result in a policy depression effect, which may promote the agglomeration of urban innovation factors (including high-quality talents and investment), thereby bolstering urban ecological innovation. Moreover, HTZs’ investment agglomeration effect is primarily responsible for driving urban ecological innovation. Indeed, the HTZ construction may not only promote the local ecological innovation, but also have a significant spillover effect on the ecological innovation activities of other cities in the province.

Knowledge Mapping Analysis of Manufacturing Product Innovation Based on CiteSpace

Manufacturing product innovation is increasingly showing a green, low-carbon, systematic ecological innovation development trend. In this paper, using CiteSpace analysis method and assisted by BICOMB2 software, the literature of CNKI (1992–2019) and WOS (1995–2019) database was analyzed to construct the knowledge mapping of manufacturing product innovation, and the research findings were as follows: (i) The research is mainly concentrated in China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and other countries. The number of Chinese scholars’ research is the largest, but the American scholars’ research is the first in novelty and prospective, and its sigma value is as high as 294.17. (ii) In recent years, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Xi’an University of Technology, Hunan University and other research institutions have recently produced more research results on product innovation. Among them, Shanghai Jiaotong University can be ranked first. (ii) “Green product innovation” and “product innovation performance” can continue to be the hot spots for future manufacturing product innovation and development.

Research on Ecological Corridor Planning of Lanzhou Yuzhong Ecological Innovation City from the Perspective of Ecological Civilization

The practice and research of ecological civilization is a focus of current planning and design, as well as a scientific strategy under the current situation of resource constraint, environmental degradation and ecosystem degradation. Urban elements such as buildings, green land, farmland,water systems and mountains can be connected by ecological corridors into a green ecological system design.At present, many ecological and environmental problems, such as urban heat island effect, fog and haze, automobile exhaust have a negative effect on the construction of social ecological environment. In order to build a new modern city with prosperous economy, beautiful environment and social civilization, scientific and efficient ecological corridors should be designed to improve the environmental quality of the eco-city, and promote the construction and development of ecological civilization and green cities. Based on the relevant research and specific practices of ecological corridors at home and abroad,combine the needs of the planning and construction of the Yuzhong Ecological Innovation City, and discuss on the connotation and characteristics of ecological corridors, and discuss the key elements of ecological corridor planning.This article will take the ecological corridor planning of Yuzhong Eco Innovation City as an example. We design ecological corridor based on field investigation, literature and geographic information system..The planning and design of the ecological corridor in the planning area proposed in this paper can provide positive suggestion on the planning and design of the ecological corridor in other ecological innovation cities.

KNOWLEDGE MAP, HOTSPOTS AND FRONTIERS OF ECOLOGICAL INNOVATION

China is facing the "ecological deficit" caused by environmental pollution and shortage of energy resources. Ecological innovation, as the integration point of innovation-driven development strategy and sustainable development strategy, provides a feasible path for achieving a win-win situation for the economy, society and the environment. Based on the knowledge graph research method, this article reviews and visualizes 949 SSCI-sourced ecological innovation literature from 1998 to 2019. The results of the study found: The knowledge base of ecological innovation research is composed of different research fields such as innovation economics, environmental economics, strategic management, and industrial organization. The research focus has shifted from focusing solely on environmental pollution to focusing on energy conservation, emission reduction and climate change, from initially focusing on the importance of technological innovation in ecological innovation, to focusing on the impact of institutional pressure on ecological innovation. Climate change, low-carbon development and typological research are frontier issues in the field of ecological innovation.

Maximizing Benefits to Nature and Society in Techno-Ecological Innovation for Water

Nature-based solutions (NbS) build upon the proven contribution of well-managed and diverse ecosystems to enhance resilience of human societies. They include alternatives to techno-industrial solutions that aim to enhance social-ecological integration by providing simultaneous benefits to nature (such as biodiversity protection and green/blue space) and society (such as ecosystem services and climate resiliency). Yet, many NbS exhibit aspects of a technological or engineered ecosystem integrated into nature; this techno-ecological coupling has not been widely considered. In this work, our aim is to investigate this coupling through a high-level and cross-disciplinary analysis of NbS for water security (quantity, quality, and/or water-related risk) across the spectrums of naturalness, biota scale, and benefits to nature and society. Within the limitations of our conceptual analysis, we highlight the clear gap between “nature” and “nature-based” for most NbS. We present a preliminary framework for advancing innovation efforts in NbS towards maximizing benefits to both nature and society, and offer examples in biophysical innovation and innovation to maximize techno-ecological synergies (TES).

Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility Activities in Heating Industry—Case Study

The paper focuses on problems connected with Environmental Corporate Social responsibility in the energy industry. The objective behind this article is to analyse pro-environment activities within Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (ECSR) that heating operators carry out, using the example of a Poland-based company called Miejska Energetyka Cieplna Spółka z o.o. with headquarters in Koszalin. In particular, this study focuses on pro-environment activities that the company has been involved in from 2017–2020. The data and information found in this study demonstrate that the company systematically devoted its financial resources to pro-environment efforts in terms of both ISO 14001 maintenance as well as educational/promotional activities. According to the findings, the company has been highly committed to Environmental Corporate social Responsibility issues. The implementation of its strategy in this field can lead to ecological innovation and help establish an effective business model that will be founded on ecological assumptions.

Innovative Green Initiatives in the Manufacturing SME Sector in Poland

Operating a business in the context of current environmental challenges requires managers to shift away from the management model focused solely on the achievement of economic goals. In this situation, pro-ecological (green) initiatives, in particular those that are innovative, are gaining significance. These measures allow for the mitigation and/or elimination of the environmental pollution while generating at the same time certain benefits for the companies implementing them, which is reflected in the improved financial performance. Ecological innovation (eco-innovation) is an ideal solution that allows business entities to achieve both environmental and economic goals. Nevertheless, other green initiatives may also contribute to the accomplishment of such objectives. This article aims to indicate innovative green initiatives undertaken in the SME sector, while identifying at the same time their impact on the operation of entities in this sector. It was accomplished on the basis of empirical research conducted on a sample of 342 manufacturing enterprises operating in Poland. The obtained results gave rise to the conclusion that the undertaken innovative green initiatives do not only combine environmental objectives with economic objectives, but also bring measurable benefits to the implementers (e.g., revenue growth), which occurs in parallel to environmental safety maintenance.

Pentaradial eukaryote suggests expansion of suspension feeding in White Sea-aged Ediacaran communities

Suspension feeding is a key ecological strategy in modern oceans that provides a link between pelagic and benthic systems. Establishing when suspension feeding first became widespread is thus a crucial research area in ecology and evolution, with implications for understanding the origins of the modern marine biosphere. Here, we use three-dimensional modelling and computational fluid dynamics to establish the feeding mode of the enigmatic Ediacaran pentaradial eukaryoteArkarua. Through comparisons with two Cambrian echinoderms,CambrasterandStromatocystites, we show that flow patterns aroundArkaruastrongly support its interpretation as a passive suspension feeder.Arkaruais added to the growing number of Ediacaran benthic suspension feeders, suggesting that the energy link between pelagic and benthic ecosystems was likely expanding in the White Sea assemblage (~ 558–550 Ma). The advent of widespread suspension feeding could therefore have played an important role in the subsequent waves of ecological innovation and escalation that culminated with the Cambrian explosion.

Perception of Zero Waste in the Context to Environmental Innovation in Slovakia

At the present time, a great attention is paid to the ecological innovation, which represents innovation characterization to any ecological change with a positive impact on consumers. Such innovations increase the comfort for consumers and concurrently they represent more effective, more economic, ecological, healthier and safer solutions. Ecological innovation represents any innovation aimed at significant and visible progress towards the goal of sustainable development. This is done by reducing the impact on the environment or achieving a more efficient and responsible use of natural resources, including energy and Zero waste. The aim this paper is evaluation to the perception of Zero waste in the context of ecological innovations in Slovakia. The research is carried out using the Kano model. The results point to the importance of addressing the issue of ZeroWaste, encouraging friends to buy in non-packaging stores and creating a stimulation of advertising to buy products in a non-packaging store. Other attributes of the given issue are perceived by Slovak respondents in the opposite way or have no influence on them. Therefore, it is important to provide sufficient information on this issue and to educate the population in order to increase their interest in this issue and to start behaving responsibly towards waste management.