Suitable Innovation in Industry 5.0: The Moderating Mechanism of Innovation Transmission Types in Innovation Ecosystem

Guiding the transformation of manufacturing industries achieves a suitable innovation ecosystem to face Industry 5.0. In this article, the input–output method is used to measure spilled (SI), absorbed (AI), and quadrant-based innovation (QI) in order to examine their moderating roles in the two-stage innovation ecosystem. Based on the data from the Chinese manufacturing sector from 2010 to 2020, this article uses a moderated mediation model. The result shows that the positive effect of R&D investment on innovation output is enhanced by AI, and innovation production stage is enhanced by SI, which is different from QI. Besides, distinguishing the subjects and uses of R&D investment has different transmission characteristics, especially QI shows moderating effects in almost all innovation stages. This study empirically analyzes the moderating effects in the innovation ecosystem and fills the gap in the comparison of AI, SI, and QI based on industry self-comparison, which makes that an approach to Industry 5.0 from the perspective of the innovation ecosystem requires the empirical study of industrial innovation patterns. By extending the theoretical framework of innovation transmission within the multisubject, multistage innovation ecosystem, the study of moderating effects also offers suitable paths for innovative transmission in Industry 5.0. The application of objective methods to clarify the interindustrial innovation production connections has revealed the “black box” of the innovation ecosystem's internal transmission processes, by guiding innovation subjects to create a “synergy” and promoting a positive innovation transmission ecosystem in Industry 5.0.