| Variable | Measurement method |
| Domestic patent application acceptance number (patent) | Logarithmic processing (lnpatent) |
| Domestic patent application authorization number (patentapply) | Logarithmic processing (lnpatentapply) |
| Second industry GDP ratio (ind) | Secondary industry GDP/regional GDP |
| Tertiary industry GDP ratio (ser) | Tertiary industry gross production value/regional GDP |
| Higher education level (edu) | Number of students in higher education schools/regional total population |
| Openness (open) | Regional import and export volume/regional GDP |
| Foreign investment level (fdi) | Regional foreign direct investment/regional GDP |
| R&D spending (rd) | Regional R&D expenditure/regional GDP |