Work

Enhancing cross-border rail connectivity: A quasi-natural experiment on boosting regional innovation performance through the China-Laos railway

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Does connecting to a less-developed economy stimulate innovation in a more advanced partner? Using the opening of the China-Laos Railway (CLR) as a quasi-natural experiment, this study investigates its transformative effects on regional innovation in Chinese provinces. Integrating a dynamic optimization model with a rigorous staggered difference-in-differences (DID) framework, the analysis reveals that the railway significantly enhances innovation output. Crucially, this surge is driven by “adaptive innovation”, reflecting a market-driven response to the specific developmental needs of ASEAN. We identify a unique “bridging effect”, where connectivity stimulates innovation through the demand-side channel driven by trade geographic concentration and a supply-side channel driven by resource allocation efficiency. These findings challenge the traditional North-South innovation narrative, positioning cross-border infrastructure as a catalyst for converting trade corridors into innovation corridors.

Source: Research in Transportation Business & Management

DOI: 10.1016/j.rtbm.2026.101640

Authors: Yang Liu, Shixuan Tong, Xingrong Ma, Wei Liu, Yingyou Miao

Institutions: Kunming University, Yunnan University, Beijing Union University

Language: English

Topic: Cross-Border Cooperation and Integration

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Decent work and economic growth, Partnerships for the goals

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,620