In recent years, the mismatch of innovation elements has restricted the innovation development of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration to a certain extent. In this context, how to coordinate the rational allocation of innovation elements in the Yangtze River Delta, enhance the innovation-driven effect of regional integration enlargement, and enhance the driving ability and radiation scope of the science and technology innovation center, is critical for comprehensively promoting high-quality regional integration and accelerating the construction of the new development pattern of “dual circulation”.

This paper systematically analyzes the innovation effect of the regional integration enlargement and the adjustment mechanism of innovation element coordinated agglomeration from the theoretical and empirical levels. It is found that regional integration enlargement promotes the free flow and optimal allocation of non-regional elements in a larger space, and the resulting coordinated agglomeration of elements will help to promote the sustainable development of regional innovation. Under the adjustment effect of element coordinated agglomeration, integration enlargement drives the improvement of regional innovation level through the specialization of labor, the coordination of innovation value chain and the expansion of market scale. However, the innovation effect of the integration enlargement of the Yangtze River Delta and the adjustment mechanism of innovation element coordinated agglomeration are heterogeneous in the central in-situ city and the newly entered peripheral city. Because of the weak innovation foundation, insufficient scientific research transformation ability and relative marginalization of innovation resource allocation, the peripheral city is unable to promote regional innovation levels through the multi-subject collaborative innovation path of innovation value chain. The G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor is becoming the innovation center, and will be further driving the innovation development of the Yangtze River Delta.

In the new development stage, constructing the new development pattern with the domestic cycle as the main body and improving the self-reliance ability of scientific and technological innovation are the inevitable choice to promote the high-quality development of China’s economy. In this context, it is of great practical significance to explore the realization path of unimpeded free flow and coordinated agglomeration for elements, form a regional unified market, and promote the formation of a new development pattern. China should take urban agglomeration as the main body, create a fair and efficient market-based allocation environment for elements, build an industrial pattern with dislocation development and complementary advantages, and jointly build a scientific and technological innovation community in the Yangtze River Delta.