The thesis is devoted to theoretical and practical definition of the essence and principles of implementation of the new tool of regional management "smart specialization" and the development of organizational and economic foundations of its implementation at the level of regions of Ukraine to activate and stimulate innovative development of the country’s economy.
The paper analyzes historical aspects of the origin and essential formation of smart specialization as a new tool of regional management for the world economy.
The stages of implementation of the concept of smart specialization at the regional level are generalized and the key principles of implementation of this concept are substantiated with an emphasis on the content, peculiarities and focus of stakeholders’ attention. Based on theoretical study, the essence of smart specialization, which in the work means the purposeful orientation of the strategy of regional development on activization of specific kinds of economic activities that have a high level of potential for innovative growth and sufficient resource provision for this, the implementation of which will be accompanied by a synergistic direction of efforts of all market relations participants, that will allow to achieve ambitious goals for innovative territory growth, social security of the population and obtaining economic efficiency of production and economic activities of all participants in the region’s economic relations, is clarified.
Quantitative indicators for assessing various characteristics of smart specialization implementation at the regional level are systematized according to five parameters: innovative potential, financial and investment support, innovative activity of stakeholders, intensity of implementation of smart specialization projects and innovative efficiency.
Based on a detailed study of successful and not very successful experience of implementing smart specialization projects in developed countries (Australia, Belgium, France, Spain and the United Kingdom), the paper formulates the limitations that arise when using this tool and substantiates the possibilities of adapting the leading world experience in Ukraine in the field of smart specialization.
Within the framework of the proposed methodological approach to a comprehensive assessment of the strategic orientation of the country's regions towards smart specialization and innovative development, the orientation of the Strategies of development of the regions of Ukraine on the dissemination of principles and projects of smart specialization for the period up to 2020 and until 2027 allows to establish that only from 2021 in Ukraine at the regional level the relevance and expediency of a reasonable definition of innovative specifics of the territory are officially recognized and the directions of its smart specialization are substantiated. Based on a detailed study of the content of Strategies of development of the regions of Ukraine for the period up to 2027, the directions of activities that each region has identified as innovatively capacious and capable ones are systematized.
A methodological approach to assessing the prerequisites for the implementation of smart specialization in the regions of the country is proposed, based on the diagnosis of the degree of fulfillment of four requirements justified in work. A procedure has been developed for modeling the influence of the factors of functioning of the educational, scientific and innovative spheres of the region's activity on the dynamics of its resulting indicators.
A conceptual platform for implementation of smart specialization in the regions of Ukraine, which consists of four successive stages: substantiation of a promising type of activity for the region, which will be selected as a direction of smart specialization; creation of favorable conditions for implementation of smart specialization projects in the chosen direction in the region; implementation of smart specialization projects in the region in order to increase the level of its competitive position; dissemination of positive results and gained experience to other innovatively promising directions of the region, has been developed.
The achieved positions of Ukraine are assessed on the key innovation priorities of developed EU countries in accordance with the European innovation scoreboard 2021. Prospects for innovative growth of Ukraine compared to Poland are determined and development priorities for the regions of the country are specified according to innovation development indicators. It is recommended to use activators of innovative development of the regions of Ukraine in the context of gaining opportunities for successful implementation of selected directions of smart specialization at the regional level. The universal map of self-assessment of preconditions, prospects and the first results of implementation of projects of smart specialization in the regions of Ukraine is offered.
