Promoting the growth of the lithium battery sector has been a critical aspect of China's energy policy in terms of achieving carbon neutrality.However,despite significant support on research and development(R&D)investments that have resulted in increasing size,the sector seems to be falling behind in technological areas.To guide future policies and understand proper ways of promoting R&D efficiency,we looked into the lithium battery industry of China.Specifically,data envelopment analysis(DEA)was used as the primary approach based on evidence from 22 listed lithium battery enterprises.The performance of the five leading players was compared with that of the industry as a whole.Results revealed little indication of a meaningful improvement in R&D efficiency throughout our sample from 2010 to 2019.However,during this period,a significant increase in R&D expenditure was witnessed.This finding was supported,as the results showed that the average technical efficiency of the 22 enterprises was 0.442,whereas the average pure technical efficiency was at 0.503,thus suggesting that they were suffering from decreasing returns to scale(DRS).In contrast,the performance of the five leading players seemed superior because their average efficiency scores were higher than the industry's average.Moreover,they were experiencing increasing scale efficiency(IRS).We draw on these findings to suggest to policymakers that supporting technologically intensive sectors should be more than simply increasing investment scale;rather,it should also encompass assisting businesses in developing efficient managerial processes for R&D.

Shizhen BAI;Xinrui BI;Chunjia HAN;Qijun ZHOU;Wen-Long SHANG;Mu YANG;Lin WANG;Petros IEROMONACHOU;Hao HE

School of Management,Harbin University of Commerce,Harbin 150028,China;Department of Management,Birkbeck,University of London,London WC1E 7HX,UK;Department of Systems Management and Strategy,University of Greenwich,London SE10 9LS,UK;Beijing Key Laboratory of Traffic Engineering,College of Metropolitan Transportation,Beijing University of Technology,Beijing 100124,China;School of Traffic and Transportation,Beijing Jiaotong Univer-sity,Beijing 100008,China;Centre for Transport Studies,Imperial College London,London SW7 2AZ,UK

工程管理前沿（英文版）

[1]Shizhen BAI;Xinrui BI;Chunjia HAN;Qijun ZHOU;Wen-Long SHANG;Mu YANG;Lin WANG;Petros IEROMONACHOU;Hao HE-.Evaluating R&D efficiency of China's listed lithium battery enterprises)[J].工程管理前沿（英文版）,2022(03):473-485

Evaluating,efficiency,China,listed,lithium,battery,enterprises,Promoting,growth,has,been,critical,aspect,energy,terms,achieving,carbon,neutrality,However,despite,significant,research,development,investments,that,have,resulted,increasing,size,seems,falling,behind,areas,To,guide,future,policies,understand,proper,ways,promoting,looked,into,industry,Specifically,data,envelopment,analysis,DEA,was,used,primary,approach,evidence,from,performance,five,leading,players,compared,whole,Results,revealed,little,indication,meaningful,improvement,throughout,our,sample,during,this,period,increase,expenditure,witnessed,This,supported,results,showed,average,technical,whereas,pure,thus,suggesting,they,were,suffering,decreasing,returns,scale,DRS,In,contrast,seemed,superior,because,their,scores,higher,than,Moreover,experiencing,IRS,We,draw,these,findings,policymakers,supporting,technologically,intensive,sectors,should,more,simply,rather,also,encompass,assisting,businesses,developing,efficient,managerial,processes

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