Andrusiak I. Innovation essentials for sustainable development of the Ukrainian economy.

The thesis substantiates theoretical principles and practical aspects of innovation essentials for sustainable development of the Ukrainian economy and develops methodological tools for its assessment. The study identifies prerequisites for emergence of a concept of sustainable development, which allowed distinguishing five periods of its evolution: a preparatory stage, a point of its initiation, a phase of establishing its conceptual framework, the time of its maturity and overall distribution, implementation and materialization. An innovation constituent of sustainable development is sorted out along with the basic economic, social and environmental pillars of the concept. The thesis argues the necessity of the innovation essentials for sustainable development of the economy and highlights its scientific and technical, institutional, marketing, investment, education and information components. A methodological toolkit is systematized to assess the overall level of implementation of the concept of sustainable development and its individual constituents at the macro and micro levels. The study exposes global trends in establishing the innovation essentials for sustainable development of the economy. Developed countries and TNCs show the best results in terms of sustainable development of the economy, which reflects their awareness of the process of implementing the concept. Rating positions of Ukraine with reference to the pillars of sustainable development characterizes the level of sustainable development of the national economy as an average one or below average and exposes a significant lag from the leaders. The study uses a methodological approach developed to rank levels of the innovation essentials for sustainable development of the economy. The method is based on the Index of innovation essentials for sustainable development of the economies of Ukraine and of 19 other countries in a certain sequence of steps. This enables a comparative analysis of both the general level of the innovation essentials for sustainable development of the economy and by its components: scientific and technical, institutional, marketing, investment, education and information. Evaluation is carried out by 34 indicators set apart in the framework of the components of innovation essentials for sustainable development of the economy. As a result, the rating of twenty countries is built by the Index of innovation essentials for sustainable development of the economy. Ukraine is ranked the 18th. The findings allow identifying major problems occurring in building up the innovation essentials for sustainable development of the national economy.