Dataset on Exaptation innovation of Chinese Listed Firms (2000–2023)

This dataset captures exaptation activities in China, comprising 36,597 patent observations constructed from cited–citing patent pairs of 711 Chinese listed firms between 2000 and 2023. The dataset integrates patent data from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), industry classification information, and large-scale textual data, including 61,116 annual reports and 1,127,012 news articles. It provides indicators of technological distance, product distance, and non-anticipation, enabling systematic analysis of exaptation and cross-domain innovation.