Abstract:
This article employs the SBM model to assess the comprehensive efficiency, pure technology efficiency, and scale efficiency of fiscal scientific research input and output across 12 prefecture-level cities in Hubei Province from 2011 to 2020. To characterize the spatiotemporal dynamic evolution of fiscal research input and output efficiency in Hubei Province, the Moran index and Kernel density estimation function are utilized. The research findings show that the level of efficiency in fiscal scientific research output within Hubei Province's prefecture-level cities is notably high and exhibits a rising trajectory over time. The fluctuations in pure technical efficiency are in sync with the overall efficiency trends. Sequentially, these cities have transitioned from being characterized as low-value areas to high-value areas each year, with a diminishing number of cities falling into the low-value category and an increasing number gravitating towards high-value distinctions. This shift is accompanied by accelerated technological progress and diffusion. Spatially, a convergence effect is observed between regions with high efficiency and those with lower efficiency, and they exhibit distinct characteristics of clustered distribution. High-value regions exert a pull on the performance levels of low-value regions, contributing to a narrowing gap between these regions.