Research on collaborative innovation optimization strategies for digitally enabled higher education ecosystems

Area of Science:

• Higher Education
• Digital Transformation
• Ecosystem Theory

Background:

• Digitally enabled higher education leverages new-generation digital technology to innovate traditional teaching methods.
• This digital shift enhances teaching quality, learning experiences, and institutional efficiency.
• Ecosystem theory provides a framework for understanding the interactions between key stakeholders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a higher education ecosystem model involving government, enterprises, and universities.
• To analyze the impact of different research and development (R&D) scenarios (noncooperative, cost sharing, cooperative) on stakeholder effort and ecosystem benefits.
• To evaluate the role of government subsidies in optimizing the higher education ecosystem.

Main Methods:

• Application of ecosystem theory to model the higher education landscape.
• Analysis of three distinct research and development (R&D) scenarios: noncooperative, cost sharing, and cooperative.
• Examination of participating subjects' effort levels and overall ecosystem benefits under varying conditions.

Main Results:

• Service innovation effort increases with human resource levels and technological maturity; government benefits decrease with higher social responsibility costs.
• Government cost subsidies to universities and enterprises enhance service innovation and increase optimal returns for all parties and the ecosystem.
• Cooperative R&D yields higher effort levels and total ecosystem returns compared to noncooperative R&D, achieving Pareto optimality with appropriate government subsidies.

Conclusions:

• The study elucidates the dynamic evolution mechanisms within digitally enabled higher education ecosystems.
• Findings offer practical decision-making insights for managing higher education ecosystems effectively.
• Collaboration and strategic government support are crucial for maximizing innovation and benefits in digital higher education.