Abstract: Innovation activities process has different characteristics in different stages. Based on the value chain theory, this paper established a three-phase DEA model of technological innovation under variable returns to scale to measure the innovation efficiency in three phases and test their influence factors using the data of high-tech industries in 30 provinces during 1998-2010. Research shows: technological innovation efficiency in China′s high-tech industries is obviously unbalanced among different regions and roughly presents a multi-V-shaped dynamic trend; innovation efficiency of three phases are mostly the types of low fundamental innovation, low applicable innovation and low profitable innovation; the development of information technology and independent innovation of enterprises have significantly positive influence on the innovation efficiency in all three phases, while the support of finance and government as well as the scale of enterprises have different effects in different phases. Carefully studying technological innovation activities is conducive to truly fitting up the R & D innovation process of high-tech industries, reasonably calculating the efficiency of each phase, and finding the real inefficient parts of each link.

Key words: fundamental innovation, applicable innovation, profitable innovation, periodical characteristics