Innovation activities in manufacturing enterprises in emerging countries face a dilemma in simultaneously implementing exploitation and exploration innovation due to a lack of synergy capacity. Building upon the theories of dual innovation synergy and strategic flexibility, this study proposes a mechanism for achieving dual innovation synergy through digitalization, which can enhance innovation performance. We argue that digitalization improves innovation performance via dual innovation synergy. Additionally, we suggest that strategic flexibility moderates the relationship between digitalization and innovation performance by coordinating innovation strategy and other strategies. The results indicate a positive impact of digitalization on innovation performance, mediated by dual innovation synergy. Furthermore, an increase in strategic flexibility enhances the positive effect of dual innovation synergy on innovation performance, thereby amplifying the positive influence of digitalization on innovation performance through dual innovation synergy. This research contributes to the existing literature on the impact of digitalization on innovation performance by emphasizing the crucial role of dual innovation synergy and strategic flexibility in innovation management.

There exists an uncertain effect of digital technology-related demands on employees’ innovative behaviors because of stress paradox caused by these demands. Drawing upon the theory of stress paradox, this research investigates how career resilience mediates this relationship, with perceived organizational support moderating the effect of digital technology-related demands on career resilience. Based on a survey of 241 respondents, the results of hierarchical regression and path analyses reveal that digital technology-related demands positively influence employees’ innovative behavior through the mediating role of career resilience. Furthermore, perceived organizational support strengthens the positive impact of digital technology-related demands on career resilience, thereby enhancing the indirect effect of these demands on innovative behavior. This study extends existing literature on the drivers of employee innovation and highlights the critical role of career resilience and organizational support for firms navigating digital transformation.

Lithium, as a critical resource underpinning strategic emerging industries, has garnered significant global attention due to its pivotal role in energy storage and clean energy applications. This study delineates the spatial economic network of China's lithium industry by analysing data derived from lithium-related listed firms and their subsidiaries registered within the country. Employing social network analysis (SNA) and GeoDetector methods, the spatial characteristics and determinants of the economic network are systematically investigated. The findings reveal that lithium-related listed firms are predominantly concentrated in economically developed regions, including the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Hubei Province, and Henan Province. The economic network exhibits sparse connectivity but displays a small-world effect, characterised by a hierarchical structure with Shenzhen as the central hub, supported by significant nodes in Ningde and Shanghai. A distinct east-west disparity is observed, with dense linkages in the east contrasting with sparse connections in the west. Core cities within the network, primarily located in coastal regions, are identified as possessing strong economic development, favourable resource endowment, or well-established industrial foundations. These cities exhibit notable spatial agglomeration patterns around regional cores. Furthermore, the economic network is profoundly influenced by factors including economic development levels, local innovation capacity, openness to trade and investment, and policy environments conducive to industrial growth. These findings provide valuable insights into the spatial structure and driving mechanisms of China's lithium industry, offering a robust basis for formulating targeted strategies to enhance the sector's development and competitiveness.

The spatial configuration and collaborative networks of research and development (R&D) enterprises are continuously reshaping the innovation landscape of strategic industries. Clarifying this evolution is crucial for advancing China’s lithium-ion battery (LIB) sector. Leveraging a unique dataset of corporate LIB patents, this study examines the co-evolution of spatial agglomeration and inter-city collaborative networks within China’s LIB industry. Integrating spatial statistics, social network analysis, and geographic detectors across four sub-periods, we systematically track this reshaping process and identify its driving forces. Our findings reveal a dual trajectory of restructuring. Spatially, LIB R&D enterprises exhibit persistent east-west disparities, with innovation hotspots concentrated in coastal urban clusters, the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. However, standard deviation ellipse analysis indicates a significant northward shift in the distribution center toward Ji’an, Jiangxi Province, suggesting gradual restructuring toward inland regions. In the network dimension, inter-city collaboration has expanded from 2 to 157 cities, yet overall connectivity remains low and fragmented. Notably, high-level connections concentrate among core cities unconstrained by geographical distance, indicating network structure is reshaped by node hierarchy rather than spatial proximity. Further analysis reveals that regional economic openness, industrial agglomeration, technological innovation capabilities, and policy support collectively shape enterprise distribution and network positions. By integrating spatial and network perspectives, these findings advance understanding of how strategic industries reshape regional innovation landscapes and provide evidence-based implications for fostering a more balanced and connected technological innovation landscape in China.