In the study, a generalisation and presentation of solutions to the current scientific task are provided, which consists in substantiating the theoretical-conceptual foundations and methodological approaches to the development of the innovative infrastructure of the higher education institution, and practical recommendations are proposed for ensuring the effectiveness of the development of the innovative infrastructure of the higher education institution. It has been determined that higher education institutions are key providers of innovation and active participants in the National Innovation System, requiring the presence of a favorable innovation climate. This is realized through the effective functioning of their innovation infrastructure. Based on the structural-functional approach, the innovation infrastructure of a higher education institution is defined as a set of structural elements (departments, centers, divisions, organizations, or enterprises) within a higher education institution that operate with the goal of creating, improving, disseminating, and implementing innovations. In turn, the innovation ecosystem of a higher education institution is defined as a system of interrelations between the elements of the innovation infrastructure that function with the goal of creating, improving, disseminating, and implementing innovations.
The study has explored, summarised, and systematised theoretical and methodological positions regarding the essential characteristics and features of the innovative infrastructure of higher education institutions, specifically: identified its main functions (stimulating, supporting, allocation, integrating); identified and characterised its architecture, determined the key elements and the interconnections between them; defined methodological approaches to the research of the innovative potential of higher education institutions, which is a key aspect of forming and developing innovative infrastructure; determined that the development process of innovative infrastructure lies in the paradigm of the evolution of university models from University 1.0 to University 5.0. Despite all the crisis phenomena that have occurred in Ukraine's economy over the last decade, the opportunities arising in the conditions of post-war reconstruction demand structural changes and transformations in all spheres, including higher education. The analysis of the intellectual potential of higher education institutions in Ukraine has shown that the vast majority of Ukrainian higher education institutions have a moderately high level of intellectual potential. Institutions with moderately high and high levels of intellectual potential mostly have a more diversified innovative infrastructure, indicating an existing dependency of the level of innovative infrastructure development on intellectual potential. After determining the level of innovative infrastructure development of the analysed institutions and comparing it to the level of intellectual potential, the author developed a positioning map of higher education institutions based on the studied indicators. As a result, institutions were grouped and leaders and laggards were identified, which allows for the development of practical recommendations and strategies for the development of innovative infrastructure of higher education institutions, taking into account their positioning. By analysing the key systemic and strategic regulatory documents of the European Union and Ukraine, it can be concluded that the country is currently at a bifurcation point and requires systemic transformation, taking into account the trend towards innovation and digitalisation of education, with the development of innovative infrastructure identified as a key aspect of such transformation.
Using a cluster approach, key stages in the process of forming innovative infrastructure are proposed and characterized: analysis of innovative potential, design, launch of innovation infrastructure hubs, launch of auxiliary and service elements, launch of the innovation ecosystem, control, and further development. Scaling and expanding the innovative infrastructure of higher education institutions is identified as an important aspect of ensuring competitiveness in the market of educational and scientific services. The creation of a mechanism for the interaction of elements of the innovative infrastructure is defined as the formation of the innovation ecosystem of a higher education institution, with key stages of this process outlined and the main participants identified. Based on this, a system of models for the innovation ecosystem for each level of evolutionary development of higher education institutions (University 1.0, University 2.0, University 3.0, University 4.0, and University 5.0) is developed, taking into account their functional features.
