Abstract:With the knowledge-based economy era, Chinese economic developing pattern is shifting from element-driven and investment-driven phase to innovation-driven phase. Innovation plays a more and more significant role in achieving sustainable economic development. As manufacturing becomes the main body of national economy development, research on structure characters and spatial pattern change of manufacturing innovation is great important for deepening innovation geography theory and optimizing the regional economic structure. In this paper, we build an index system of manufacturing innovation from manufacturing innovation R&D and manufacturing innovation transformation, and use economic census data in 2004, 2008 and 2013, for investigating the structural characteristics and pattern evolution of manufacturing innovation in Guangdong Province. Our findings are: The manufacturing innovation capability of large enterprises in Guangdong Province is higher than that of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises, but the manufacturing innovation vitality in small enterprises is better. Foreign-invested enterprises have the strongest manufacturing innovation capability, and joint-stock company and limited liability company have a better innovating ability in domestic-funded companies. Communications equipment, computer and other electronic equipment manufacturing, tobacco products industry and ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing industries are more innovative while labor-intensive industries such as textile and garment, furniture manufacturing and paper-making and printing industry are less capable of innovation. Basic research innovation is stronger than new product innovation in Guangdong Province, showing a significant "center-periphery" pattern. Moreover, employed population and GDP size have a significant impetus to the innovation of manufacturing industry in Guangdong.