Two-stage innovation efficiency of new energy enterprises in China: A non-radial DEA approach

- Innovation activities are divided into R&D process and marketing process.
- A non-radial DEA method is used to measure new energy enterprises' innovation efficiency in China.
- All the new energy enterprises are classified into four types based on innovation efficiency.
- Innovation efficiency improvement strategies are proposed.

Enterprises driven by the ability to effectively innovate and market products and services (called “innovation enterprises”) experience a complex progression from initial research to profitability. The paper considers activities related to innovation during two stages of growth experienced by new energy enterprises: the research and development (R&D) process and the marketing process. A non-radial data envelopment analysis method was used to construct indices to measure R&D efficiency, market efficiency, and integrated innovation efficiency. Empirical research using these indices and data about 38 Chinese new energy enterprises from 2009 to 2013 revealed three key findings. First, new energy enterprises are generally inefficient when it comes to innovating. This is particularly true during the R&D stage of innovation, and there is periodically a phenomenon where enterprises focusing less on R&D, and instead emphasizing marketing. Second, different types of new energy enterprises differ with respect to their efficiency in innovation. Of these, nuclear power enterprises are the most efficient in integrated innovation and marketing; wind energy enterprises are the most efficient in R&D innovations; and solar energy enterprises lag behind the others in R&D efficiency. Third, innovation activities are considered “effective and intensive” in only a small number of enterprises; innovation in most enterprises can be generally considered “extensive and inefficient”. Enterprises with different innovation and marketing efficiency modes should implement targeted improvement strategies, based on efficiency characteristics.