The dissertation solves a relevant scientific problem, which consists in developing theoretical and methodological foundations and practical tools for forming regional mechanisms for the development of Ukraine based on the concept of smart specialization, aimed at increasing innovative activity, competitiveness and sustainability of regional economies in the war and post-war periods.
The first section of the dissertation "Theoretical and methodological foundations of the development of smart specialization in Ukraine" defines the essence and explores the evolution of the concept of smart specialization; explores modern theories of the application of the concept of smart specialization for public management of regional development in modern conditions and its typology; characterizes the mechanisms of application of the concept of smart specialization and its functional purpose for public management of regional development.
The second section of the dissertation “The State and Prerequisites for the Formation of Regional Mechanisms for the Development of Smart Specialization in Ukraine” analyzes the regulatory, legal and institutional support for the implementation of the smart specialization concept in modern conditions; analyzes the development strategies of regions and the potential of regions of Ukraine in modern conditions, assesses the level of compliance of their priorities with the methodology of the concept; identifies systemic obstacles to the implementation of smart specialization at the regional level, including legal, financial, personnel, technological and organizational. It was found that regulatory support in Ukraine, despite the significant potential for S3 integration, is characterized by fragmentation, weak interdepartmental coordination, limited use of EDP, insufficient use of cluster tools and a number of other problems associated primarily with prolonged hostilities in the country and related political and socio-economic problems. A model of institutional interaction between central government bodies (CMU, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Digital Economy, Ministry of Finance), regional management structures, and local development actors has been developed. An analysis of existing regional development strategies was also conducted, which allowed us to identify significant differences between regions in terms of economic development, innovation infrastructure, human resources, technological excellence, and the extent of war damage.
The third section of the dissertation "Strategic directions and tools for the development of regional mechanisms of smart specialization" presents the best EU practices in developing smart specialization in high-tech industries and regions and identifies the possibilities of their implementation in Ukraine; develops proposals for the formation of regional strategies of smart specialization based on the existing potential in the post-war period based on the best practices of the EU; proposes directions for improving the institutional and organizational mechanism for implementing the concept of smart specialization in the context of digitalization.
A Triple Helix model adapted to Ukrainian conditions was developed for the formation of regional smart specialization strategies, which includes analytical diagnostics, cluster analysis, EDP procedures, the formation of roadmaps and a system of KPI indicators. During the study, an S3 organizational and institutional mechanism was formed, which made it possible to determine the place of responsible stakeholders (in particular, central authorities, regional administrations, development agencies, universities, clusters, digital hubs and business) in the process of implementing the smart specialization policy in Ukraine. The main results that form the novelty of the section include the development of a comprehensive model of the digital and institutional ecosystem of S3 management in Ukraine. This model covers several crucial stages: 1) the creation of the National S3 Monitoring Center under the Ministry of Economy; 2) the introduction of open analytical platforms, digital panels and databases; 3) the formation of regional S3 councils; 4) data standardization through Data Governance; 5) implementation of a digital KPI monitoring system; and 6) formation of a network of Smart Innovation Hubs.
Keywords: public administration, public policy, smart specialization, international standards, region, regional development, regional policy, development, sustainable development, strategy, innovation, community, national security, reconstruction, digitalization, martial law.
