Sustainability | Free Full-Text | Research on the Dynamic Coupling and Coordination of Science and Technology Innovation and Sustainable Development in Anhui Province

The coupling of and coordination between science and technology innovation (STI) and sustainable development (SD) is a basic requirement for Anhui Province’s economic high-quality development. According to panel data of 16 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province from 2010 to 2021, the entropy method was applied to quantify the comprehensive development level of the two systems. The models of coupling coordination degree, grey GM (1, 1), and ARIMA prediction were constructed to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamic evolution features of the two systems’ coupling coordination. In the time series, the two systems’ comprehensive development showed a steady increase, a high level of coupling, and an increasing overall trend of coupling coordination. Moreover, the two systems’ coupling and coordination levels show the gradient spatial differentiation characteristics of “central > east > west.” The prediction shows that the two systems’ coupling coordination degree exhibits a monotonic increasing trend and reaches the optimal coupling coordination state around 2030. This study provides a decision-making reference for the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy of Anhui Province.