Public Attention to Intellectual Property Rights Protection, Openness, and Regional Innovation Capability An Empirical Analysis Based on Provincial Panel Data in China

In the context of China's innovation-driven development strategy and pronounced regional disparities in institutional quality, public attention to intellectual property rights (IPR) has emerged as a critical yet understudied factor shaping regional innovation ecosystems. While prior research emphasizes formal IPR institutions, it overlooks the socio-cognitive dimension of public attention and its interaction with regional openness—particularly in geographically heterogeneous economies like China. Using provincial panel data (2011–2023), we measure public attention to IPR protection (PAIPRP) via Baidu search indices, regional innovation capability (RIC) through patent applications (APQ) and grants (AUQ), and regional openness (RO) by actual foreign direct investment utilization (AUFDIy). Fixed-effects models control for R&D expenditure, human capital, and institutional factors. The key findings are as follows: Public IPR attention significantly boosts RIC. Regional heterogeneity is pronounced—strongest in eastern China , insignificant in central regions, and negative in the west, where higher education expansion paradoxically reduces innovation. Openness amplifies this effect, with FDI-intensive regions showing stronger responses. Policy implications include region-specific IPR governance, while the study enriches theory by linking societal awareness, economic integration, and innovation across institutional contexts.