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Abstract In the transition from efficiency-driven to innovation-driven economic growth， owing to inadequate capabilities of synergy in the production， acquisition， diffusion and application of knowledge， China is still facing challenges that need to be addressed urgently， such as the ″islanding phenomenon，″ the ″knowledge paradox，″ and other problems in science， technology and innovation. Meanwhile， the administrative decentralization and the economic reform in China have a localizing trend in knowledge flows in recent years. Therefore， in the new normal economy， it is not only possible but also necessary to look into the ″black box″ of university-industry synergy innovation from a regional perspective to encourage the flow of material， energy and information in the regional innovation ecosystems. However， most of the extant research on university-industry collaboration or on the university technology transfer has focused on the ″one-way flow of knowledge，″ such as licensing and contract research， overlooking the synergy innovation model of ″two-way dynamic flow of knowledge，″ such as joint research and consulting. Other researches are fragmented for lack of coherent frameworks and conceptualizations which fully depict the dynamic and evolving nature of knowledge synergy innovation. While comprehensive research on knowledge network has confirmed with plenty of solid evidence that embedded ties have significant positive effects on inter-organizational collaboration innovation performance， they tend to focus on the ″consequences″ of knowledge network and neglect its ″determinants，″ such as the knowledge networking capabilities of organizations and the institutional environments for network development．On the basis of China's actual conditions and the existing body of research， we adhere to the economic and social development concept of ″Innovation， Coordination， Green， Opening up and Sharing″ to raise the essential question of this study: Is it possible to fill the gap between the knowledge innovation level of university and regional innovation-driven development by activating the university potential in the evolution of regional innovation ecosystems？ To answer the research question， we proposed a theoretical framework based on the regional innovation ecosystems theory， the knowledge innovation theory， the knowledge network theory， the embedded ties theory and new institutionalism. This framework takes the embedded ties of knowledge network as the breakthrough point as the ties are key links which impact the performance of university-industry knowledge synergy innovation. In light of the theoretical logic of ″the regional institutional environments and the university knowledge networking capabilities， the embedded ties of the knowledge network, knowledge synergy innovation performance″ constructed for the co-evolution of university and its region， future research questions are suggested as follows: （1） How can knowledge synergy innovation performance be impacted by knowledge network embedded ties？ For example， future research needs to examine the concrete mechanisms of how mutual trust， mutual commitment， information sharing and joint problem-solving （which constitute the knowledge network embedded ties） impact knowledge synergy innovation performance; （2） How can knowledge network embedded ties be impacted by the knowledge networking capabilities of a university， e. g. For example， future research may focus on the constituents of the knowledge networking capabilities of a university and the relational mechanisms of these elements and knowledge network embedded ties in accordance with the university organizational properties; And （3） how can knowledge network embedded ties be impacted by the regional institutional environments. For example， future research may explore the constituent elements of the regional institutional environments in China and the role that these elements play in the development process of knowledge network embedded ties. The results of theoretical analysis and empirical study will not only promote the functional view of a university， the mechanisms of knowledge valorization， the social network theory and the embedded ties theory， but also have significant policy implications for knowledge synergy innovation and the evolution of regional innovation ecosystems and further support the national innovation systems in China．
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