Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and Green Innovation: The Role of Internal Environmental Collaboration

Green innovation has been deemed a key corporate capability to deal with environmental issues. The usage of advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT) provides important resources and knowledge for firms’ green innovation. Drawing on a resources-based approach, this study contributes to the existing literature by examining how the adoption of specific types of AMT (process, design, and planning) influences two dimensions of green innovation (green product innovation and green process innovation). In particular, we explore these relationships through internal environmental collaboration. Based on data collected from 198 Chinese manufacturing firms, we found that process, design, and planning AMT can contribute to both green products and process innovation. Moreover, the findings confirm the significant mediating role of internal environmental collaboration in this relationship. Specifically, internal environmental collaboration mediates the relationship between process AMT and green product innovation as well as the relationship between design AMT and two dimensions of green innovation; it also partially mediates the relationship between process AMT and green process innovation as well as the relationship between planning AMT and two dimensions of green innovation. These findings provide novel insights into how manufacturing firms can use various types of AMT to enhance their green innovation.