The thesis has developed a theoretical framework for establishment and advancement of Engineering schools (ES) in the context of building a national innovation system (NIS). Taking into account the nature of innovations and the distinctive features of an innovative model of economy, the thesis has advanced the scientific approaches to the understanding of the essence and structuring of the national innovation systems (NIS), combining the structural, institutional, communicative, social and spatial aspects of the study. The author represents NIS as a complex of the institutions of interaction between the participants in the innovation processes (universities, R&D institutes, large, medium and small-sized business, and institutions of innovative infrastructure) as well as the innovation clusters, professional communities, innovation and entrepreneurial networks. Based on this, the thesis has identified the evolution of the systemic approach to the intensification of innovations towards the establishment of an integral ecosystem of support to the innovative entrepreneurship, which enables to accelerate the innovative development of economy.
The thesis had provided substantiation that the institutions of the innovative infrastructure form the “core” of NIS and ensure an integration of science, education and innovative entrepreneurship, which creates its particular structural significance. Taking into consideration a variety of the elements of innovative infrastructure, the author has refined the classification of its elements, bearing in mind a number of new criteria (by the types of support, constituent entities and sources of funding in conditions of national and inter-State partnership, goals and distinctive features of the process-based aspect of implementation), which enables a high-quality assessment and elaboration of developmental goals of such infrastructure.
While exploring the determinants of the efficiency of modern NIS, the thesis has identified the original meaning of the developed scientific sector and education system, being supplemented and integrated by the innovative infrastructure, which has the institutional, organizational, structural, communicative and other aspects of implementation. The author has substantiated the increased importance of education in establishing and operating NIS, in particular unveiled the versatile role of the modern universities in the innovation sector.
Based on the assessment of the disadvantages of the modern education system, and understanding of its new challenges, arising through more close interaction with the innovation sector, the thesis has substantiated the need for Engineering schools (ES) and suggested their concept as a new type of educational institutions within the innovative infrastructure of the country. ESs are aimed at reproducing the authentic – design and activity – model of education at the higher school with an emphasis on design and development of innovations, engaging the students in practical activities as a part of the real-life innovative projects.
The thesis has clarified the aspects of new business incubation based on ES, which emerges in the course of implementing the innovative projects, as well as their business model for the support of projects, starting from their early stages and till achievement by the enterprises of the level of the sustainable profitable operation. In this context, the author has identified new approaches to investment in development of innovations, starting from scientific R&D and training of specialists.
The thesis has studied the processes and identified the problems (political, social, general economic, organizational, and information) of NIS establishment in Ukraine, in particular it has demonstrated the negative trends in the development of scientific sector and education system, the low level of the innovative activity in the economy as well as the deficiencies in the innovative infrastructure.
