Against the backdrop of global economic digital transformation and the rapid flow of creative factors, innovation spaces, as the key carriers of inventive activities, drive high-quality development in urban agglomerations. This study develops a three-dimensional framework of “Spatial Structure–Factor Synergy–Institutional Drivers” to uncover the evolution of innovation spaces and industrial shifts in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration, China. Methodologically, spatial econometric techniques were applied to capture both the overall concentration and spatial disparities of innovation. Spatial Gini and variation coefficients measured innovation clustering, while standard deviation ellipses and location entropy identified spatial linkages among high-tech innovation clusters. Geographically weighted regression models explored spatial heterogeneity in influencing factors, and a policy intensity index was constructed to assess the effectiveness of differentiated policy interventions in optimizing innovation resources. Key findings include the following: (1) Innovation spaces are spatially polarized in a “core–periphery” pattern, yet require cross-regional collaboration. Concurrently, high-tech industries demonstrate a gradient structure: central cities leading in R&D, sub-central cities driving industrial applications, and node cities achieving specialized development through industrial transfer. (2) The driving mechanisms exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity: economic density shows diminishing returns in core areas, whereas R&D investment and ecological quality demonstrate increasingly positive effects, with foreign investment’s role evolving positively post-institutional reforms. (3) Regional innovation synergy has formed a preliminary framework, but strengthening sustainable policy mechanisms remains pivotal to advancing market-driven coordination and dismantling administrative barriers. These findings underscore the importance of integrated policy reforms for achieving balanced and high-quality innovation development in administratively coordinated urban agglomerations like BTH.

As one of China’s most important industrial clusters, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration faces persistent air pollution while remaining a key driver of regional economic growth. In recent years, technological innovation has increasingly supported industrial upgrading and environmental improvement. The key research problem is therefore whether and under what conditions industrial clustering contributes to air pollution, and whether technological innovation can alter this relationship. To address this problem, this study uses panel data from 13 cities in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 2015 to 2022 and employs Spatial Durbin Models, Spatial Threshold Models and sector-specific Spatial Durbin Models to examine how industrial clustering affects air pollution and how technological innovation moderates this relationship. The results indicate that (1) industrial clustering and air pollution exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship, while the role of technological innovation varies across different stages of clustering; (2) technological innovation is associated with lower PM2.5 concentrations, and the positive association between industrial clustering and air pollution becomes weaker at higher levels of technological innovation, with the estimated threshold providing an exploratory division between innovation regimes; (3) the environmental associations between industrial clustering and pollution differ substantially across industrial sectors, reflecting clear sector-specific heterogeneity. Based on these findings, environmental policies in the BTH urban agglomeration should reflect differences in industrial structure and development stages. Technological innovation, industrial upgrading and differentiated emission-reduction measures across industries and cities may help mitigate the environmental costs of clustering while supporting sustainable development.