Gauging the Role of Technological Innovation in the Development of China's Maritime Economy

SDG-14 aims to protect and develop marine areas. In this context, many countries need to apply technological developments to ensure environmental protection in the marine economy. This study therefore examines the difference between technological innovations at different stages of maritime development in promoting high-quality maritime development using individual fixed effects and threshold effects models. The study concludes that technological innovation in general plays a crucial role in promoting the development of China's maritime economy. However, this role has a significant dual-threshold effect, which first shifts from inhibition to promotion and then gradually weakens as the stage of economic development continues to increase. There are also significant differences in the rise of technological innovation of the three major maritime economic cycles to the high-quality development of the maritime economy. Thus, the study highlights the crucial role of technological innovation in the sustainable development of China's maritime areas and discusses various policy implications, such as focusing on economic development in coastal provinces in the early development stage, relying on technological innovation in coastal provinces in the growth stage, and trying to maintain the growth momentum of technological efficiency.