Regional collaborative innovation serves as a key pillar for building the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle into a nationally influential science and technology innovation center. This study takes the collaborative innovation development of national high-tech zones in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle as its research focus. It constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system for innovation capability from two dimensions: innovation input and innovation output. Using the entropy method, it measures the innovation capability of these national high-tech zones from 2018 to 2022. It then employs a modified gravity model and social network analysis to examine their collaborative innovation development. The findings reveal the following: (1) The innovation capability of these national high-tech zones exhibits a clear pattern of dual-core leadership and central region lag, with significant disparities in innovation capability across zones. ( 2) Although the innovation connectivity among national high-tech zones has improved, the overall level of collaborative innovation development remains low and the network structure is fragile. (3) The roles that different national high-tech zones play in the collaborative innovation network vary significantly. Based on these findings, this study proposes a series of policy recommendations, including strengthening the radiation and driving capacity of core national high-tech zones, breaking down regional administrative barriers, building platforms for sharing innovation outcomes, and establishing long-term institutional safeguards.