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[Objective] The objective of this study was to reveal the multi-scale spatial patterns, organization, and evolution of university-industry (U-I) collaborative innovation in the Yangtze River Delta region, and propose policy recommendations for the spatial optimization of regional U-I integration in China’s new development stage. [Methods] Based on the patent data from 2001 to 2020 and the diversified cooperation models, the spatial information of U-I linkages were explored, and the urban development and regional synergy models were identified by measuring the strength and centrality indicators. [Results] (1) As the output of U-I collaborative innovation continued to grow, intercity cooperation was becoming more frequent, and the scale and scope were gradually expanding. Although most small and medium-sized cities preferred intra-regional cooperation, its proportion showed a downward trend because the core cities preferred inter-regional cooperation. (2) With the improvement of the U-I collaborative innovation capabilities of small and medium-sized cities, regional development had changed from relying on the core cities to urban agglomerations for coordinated development, while the spatial imbalance of the internal network of the Yangtze River Delta had been declining. Under the strong influence of Beijing, cooperation outside the region became further agglomerated. In general, the U-I integration had evolved into a single-center, hub-and-spoke, and multi-level structure at the network level, strong administrative barriers existed, the connection between regional subnetworks was not close enough, and the leading function of the core cities such as Shanghai needed to be enhanced. (3) The Yangtze River Delta cities are promoting multi-scale U-I cooperation. Especially under the influence of regional integration policies, most cities tend to strengthen local and regional cooperation compared with cooperation outside the region. The evolution of the urban development models has driven the flattening of the regional hierarchical system and is also conducive to regional coordination and integrated development. To a certain extent, universities play a more critical “gatekeeping” role than enterprises in the multi-scale U-I integration. [Conclusion] Compared with the local and national scales, U-I collaborative innovation within the Yangtze River Delta has great development potential, and it is necessary to strengthen the effective flows of university and industry resources, and attach importance to their functional positioning differences in the regional integration and collaboration.

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Copyright of Journal of Zhejiang University. Humanities & Social Sciences / Zhejiang Daxue Xuebao is the property of Zhejiang University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)