{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T15:32:49Z","timestamp":1772465569549,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772236800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Education in China Liberal arts and Social Sciences Foundation","award":["24YJC630038"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24YJC630038"]}]},{"name":"Key Project of the Social Sciences Federation of Shanxi Province","award":["SSKLZDKT2025133"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SSKLZDKT2025133"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Systems"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper uses the supply-chain portfolio screened from the key industrial chains and focal firms announced by Chinese governments from 2009 to 2024 as the research sample to examine the bidirectional innovation spillovers from focal firms to supply-chain firms. The research results show that there are bidirectional innovation spillovers from focal firms to supply-chain firms. And the innovation spillover effect is asymmetric; that is, compared with the upstream supply chain, the innovation spillover from focal firms to supply-chain firms in the downstream supply chain is stronger. The mechanism test results show that focal firms can enhance the innovation level of upstream firms through the cooperative innovation mechanism, and can also enhance the innovation level of downstream firms through the knowledge spillover mechanism. This study not only enriches the existing literature on the spillover effects of innovation and the role of focal firms in the supply chain, but also provides empirical evidence and theoretical support for focal firms to play a core role, promote innovation in the supply chain and lead the overall development of the supply chain.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/systems14030253","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T14:06:56Z","timestamp":1772460416000},"page":"253","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Bidirectional Innovation Spillovers from Focal Firms to Upstream and Downstream Supply-Chain Firms: Evidence from China"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-9545-5887","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhengyuan","family":"Du","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics and Management, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China"}]},{"given":"Ru","family":"Fa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics and Management, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China"}]},{"given":"Rui","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics and Management, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China"}]},{"given":"Shikui","family":"Niu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Economics and Management, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100332","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jik.2023.100332","article-title":"Digital transformation, risk-taking, and innovation: Evidence from data on listed enterprises in China","volume":"8","author":"Liu","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Innov. Knowl."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110296","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cie.2024.110296","article-title":"Collaborative innovation among competitors in a supply chain with cross shareholding","volume":"193","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"Comput. Ind. Eng."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102860","DOI":"10.1016\/j.technovation.2023.102860","article-title":"Assessing innovation spillovers from publicly funded R&D and innovation support: Evidence from the UK","volume":"128","author":"Becker","year":"2023","journal-title":"Technovation"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102425","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chieco.2025.102425","article-title":"The cross-border spillover effect of US government subsidies on firms\u2019 innovation: Evidence from the Sino-US supply chain","volume":"92","author":"Hu","year":"2025","journal-title":"China Econ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"357","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jom.2014.06.004","article-title":"The influence of supply network structure on firm innovation","volume":"32","author":"Bellamy","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Oper. Manag."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105844","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbankfin.2020.105844","article-title":"Geographic spillover of dominant firms\u2019 shocks","volume":"118","author":"Jannati","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Bank Financ."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1208","DOI":"10.1080\/13504851.2017.1412065","article-title":"Are there spillover effects of large firms\u2019 growth in supply chain networks? Evidence from the Korean economy","volume":"25","author":"Pyo","year":"2018","journal-title":"Appl. Econ. Lett."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2017.04.023","article-title":"Friend or foe: Customer-supplier relationships and innovation","volume":"78","author":"Krolikowski","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Bus. Res."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108068","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpe.2021.108068","article-title":"Collaborative innovation in supply chain systems: Value creation and leadership structure","volume":"235","author":"Shen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Prod. Econ."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1128","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejor.2022.02.009","article-title":"Investment in process innovation in supply chains with knowledge spillovers under innovation uncertainty","volume":"302","author":"Niu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur. J. Oper. Res."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"470","DOI":"10.1002\/jid.3464","article-title":"Sources and Channels of International Knowledge Spillovers in ASEAN-5: The Role of Institutional Quality","volume":"32","author":"Dogan","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Int. Dev."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1329","DOI":"10.1093\/icc\/dtac035","article-title":"The knowledge spillover of innovation","volume":"31","author":"Audretsch","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ind. Corp. Change"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"250","DOI":"10.1108\/SCM-09-2024-0617","article-title":"Digital innovation diffusion in the manufacturer-distributor relationship","volume":"30","author":"Wang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Supply Chain Manag."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1163","DOI":"10.1093\/icc\/dtad046","article-title":"Revisiting international knowledge spillovers: The role of GVCs","volume":"32","author":"Delera","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ind. Corp. Change"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e70038","DOI":"10.1111\/grow.70038","article-title":"How Pharmaceutical Innovation Benefits From Spatial Aggregation: A Perspective Based on R&D Cooperation Networks","volume":"56","author":"Zhao","year":"2025","journal-title":"Growth Change"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100603","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jik.2024.100603","article-title":"Foreign multinational global value chain participation and domestic innovation: Viewing GVCs inside-out and outside-in","volume":"9","author":"Yu","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Innov. Knowl."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5419","DOI":"10.1007\/s13132-024-02166-7","article-title":"The Role of Top Management Involvement and Supply Chain Integration on Smes\u2019 Innovation Performance: Moderation Impact of Firm Experience Capability","volume":"16","author":"Amoako","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Knowl. Econ."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.1007\/s10961-025-10220-y","article-title":"Reverse knowledge spillover theory of public sector entrepreneurship","volume":"51","author":"Vivona","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Technol. Transf."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2474","DOI":"10.1017\/jmo.2024.13","article-title":"The relationship between innovation and organizational performance: A meta-analysis","volume":"30","author":"Katebi","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Manag. Organ."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"158","DOI":"10.1016\/j.indmarman.2019.01.017","article-title":"Critical review of supply chain innovation research (1999\u20132016)","volume":"82","author":"Wong","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ind. Mark. Manag."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"645","DOI":"10.1093\/qje\/qjaa004","article-title":"The Fall of the Labor Share and the Rise of Superstar Firms","volume":"135","author":"Autor","year":"2020","journal-title":"Q. J. Econ."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1007\/s12525-023-00661-4","article-title":"Superstar effects in a platform-based local market: The role of customer usage of online-to-offline platforms and spatial agglomeration","volume":"33","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Electron. Mark."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1224","DOI":"10.1016\/j.indmarman.2011.10.005","article-title":"Market-facing innovation networks: How lead firms partition tasks, share resources and develop capabilities","volume":"40","author":"Perks","year":"2011","journal-title":"Ind. Mark. Manag."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1005","DOI":"10.2308\/accr-10216","article-title":"Process Integration and Information Sharing in Supply Chains","volume":"87","author":"Schloetzer","year":"2012","journal-title":"Account. Rev."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1942","DOI":"10.1002\/smj.2426","article-title":"Agency, structure, and the dominance of OEMs: Change and stability in the automotive sector","volume":"37","author":"Jacobides","year":"2016","journal-title":"Strateg. Manag. J."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"163","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jom.2010.12.008","article-title":"Supply chain collaboration: Impact on collaborative advantage and firm performance","volume":"29","author":"Cao","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Oper. Manag."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"406","DOI":"10.1111\/obes.12165","article-title":"Mergers Along the Global Supply Chain: Information Technologies and Routine Tasks","volume":"80","author":"Basco","year":"2018","journal-title":"Oxf. Bull. Econ. Stat."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1080\/09692290500049805","article-title":"The governance of global value chains","volume":"12","author":"Gereffi","year":"2005","journal-title":"Rev. Int. Political Econ."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100483","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jik.2024.100483","article-title":"Digital transformation in supply chains: Assessing the spillover effects on midstream firm innovation","volume":"9","author":"Wei","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Innov. Knowl."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejor.2023.08.057","article-title":"How can suppliers strategically involve downstream manufacturers in research and development collaboration? A knowledge spillover perspective","volume":"314","author":"Yang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Eur. J. Oper. Res."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104200","DOI":"10.1016\/j.respol.2021.104200","article-title":"Unravelling supplier-laboratory knowledge spillovers: Evidence from Toyota\u2019s central R&D laboratory and subsidiary R&D centers","volume":"50","author":"Potter","year":"2021","journal-title":"Res. Policy"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6433","DOI":"10.1007\/s00500-019-04548-5","article-title":"Supply chain partnership, inter-organizational knowledge trading and enterprise innovation performance: The theoretical and empirical research in project-based supply chain","volume":"24","author":"Yang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Soft Comput."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100431","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jik.2023.100431","article-title":"Supply chain partnership and innovation performance of manufacturing firms: Mediating effect of knowledge sharing and moderating effect of knowledge distance","volume":"8","author":"Shan","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Innov. Knowl."},{"key":"ref_34","first-page":"630","article-title":"R&D Spillovers and the Geography of Innovation and Production","volume":"86","author":"Audretsch","year":"1996","journal-title":"Am. Econ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"834","DOI":"10.1108\/JBIM-02-2020-0109","article-title":"The impact of supply chain relationship quality on knowledge sharing and innovation performance: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing industry","volume":"36","author":"Li","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Bus. Ind. Mark."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100983","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jik.2026.100983","article-title":"How does digital transformation impact the transfer of enterprise scientific, knowledge, and technological achievements?","volume":"15","author":"Liu","year":"2026","journal-title":"J. Innov. Knowl."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100326","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jik.2023.100326","article-title":"Relationship between enterprise digitalization and green innovation: A mediated moderation model","volume":"8","author":"Ning","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Innov. Knowl."},{"key":"ref_38","first-page":"984","article-title":"Technological Opportunity and Spillovers of R&D: Evidence from Firms\u2019 Patents, Profits, and Market Value","volume":"76","author":"Jaffe","year":"1986","journal-title":"Am. Econ. Rev."}],"container-title":["Systems"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-8954\/14\/3\/253\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T14:37:07Z","timestamp":1772462227000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-8954\/14\/3\/253"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]]},"references-count":38,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]}},"alternative-id":["systems14030253"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/systems14030253","relation":{},"ISSN":["2079-8954"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-8954","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]]}}}