European smart specialization for Ukrainian regional development: path from creation to implementation

Abstract

The focus of the research is to develop recommendations of smart specialization (SS) for Ukrainian policymakers using European approaches. The authors revealed that the main SS projects are presented in such sectors as agri-food, industrial modernization and energy. More than 12 EU countries were the plot for conducted analysis of SS, as a result of which the level of activity of each country was determined. The creation of consortiums, including SMEs, associations, universities and other participants, disclosed the successful way of SS realization. The structure of SME’s innovative potential in Ukraine was identified underlining their main characteristic features like types of innovations and innovative activity, differentiation according to enterprise size, their regional distribution. The authors explored lack of innovations on regional and national level and significant territorial disparities, which could be eliminated through policy implementation of regional SS. The existing legislative norms for possibility of SS implementation in Ukraine were analyzed due to correspondence with the EU ones. The analysis provides the opportunity to consider them only as general framework documents without any action plans and sectoral prioritization at all. The weak points of these law documents are emphasized. As a result of research, the authors developed recommendations presented by direct action plan for Ukrainian policymakers, which include such activities as underlining key priorities (especially ICT applicability in every SS project) and their correspondence with the EU ones; eliminating regional imbalances by focusing on innovation development and reorientation of some regions according to SS priorities; respecting regional existing capacities; providing organizational mechanism for cooperation of stakeholders and financial mechanism for SS support through the EU structural funds.

Legal Conflicts and Gaps in the Context of Labor Legislation of Ukraine

“…It is obvious that this norm contradicts Article 61 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which establishes the individual nature of legal liability. In our opinion, this norm should be excluded from the content of the Labor Code of Ukraine, and each employee should be responsible for the misconduct that he committed personally and that caused negative consequences for the other party to the employment relationship (Polishchuk et al 2019 ).…”

Social security and protection in the context of European integration in Ukraine

“…However, the full transition of Ukraine to the European model of social protection and social security system development depends on the solution of these problems. Despite some inconsistencies, there is a marked desire of the state to improve the existing system of social protection and social security, which would include both individual measures aimed at social security of certain social groups and a system of social services available to various socially vulnerable groups (Polishchuk, Ivashchenko, Britchenko, Machashchik & Shkarlet, 2019).…”

Proposal to Increase the Level of Rural Business Activity after COVID-19

“…The economic efficiency of domestic agribusiness in today's conditions has a pronounced regional differentiation, which depends on the influence of resource, investment and other factors [4].…”