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This study examines how national mission-oriented innovation policies are translated into territorially embedded strategies through regioning processes. Using Zhongguancun Science Park – China's first state-sanctioned science park – as a longitudinal case study, the research traces four development phases (1988–2024) and compares three sub-park models to reveal how cognitive, relational and structural mechanisms shape differentiated local pathways under shared national policy frameworks. The findings suggest that policy translation constitutes an iterative process characterised by path-dependent dynamics and influenced by feedback interactions between local experimentation and national priorities. Haidian Park developed a knowledge-driven translation model, Changping Park evolved into an industry driven approach, while Fengtai Park exhibited integration-driven characteristics. These differentiated models demonstrate that the successful implementation of mission-oriented policies requires careful consideration of local institutional contexts, industrial foundations and governance traditions. The study extends the regioning concept beyond its original European federal contexts to China's tiao–kuai (vertical–horizontal) governance system, thereby enriching the theoretical framework of mission-oriented innovation policy. The empirical analysis confirms that effective policy translation necessitates coordinated efforts across meaning reconstruction (cognitive dimension), network formation (relational dimension) and institutional adaptation (structural dimension). The research offers policy insights for enhancing spatial sensitivity in mission governance, emphasising the importance of establishing multi-level feedback architectures and adaptive regulatory infrastructures.
Wang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.