CLUSTER AS A TOOL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGIONS OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines the concept, the essence of clusters and the main directions of development of the cluster movement in the European Union (EU) and Ukraine. Cluster development of the country's economy is one of the characteristic features of modern innovative state policy and a prerequisite for structural changes during the spread of advanced digital production technologies and green industry. Therefore, the creation of appropriate conditions of interaction between the cluster policy, the European approach of smart specialization of regions and the policy of decentralization in Ukraine will allow to accelerate the development of industry and strengthen the competitive capabilities of regions at various levels, in particular, at the international level. The purpose of the article is to study the influence of the cluster movement in Ukraine on its regional development, taking into account the analysis of the clustering of regions in the EU and the current state of the domestic economy, as well as the determination of directions for the further development of cluster policy in the regions. Effective cluster policy is important for Ukraine today, which should be based on the interaction of researchers, representatives of industry, business, private enterprises, public organizations, and state and local authorities. The development of the clustering of regions in the EU is considered using the example of Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Spain, and the current state of the cluster movement in Ukraine and in the EU-27 countries bordering Ukraine according to the data of the European Commission on Cluster Policy for 2022 is shown. The rates of growth of some economic indicators in the regions of Ukraine for 10 years (2010-2020), namely the gross regional product per person and capital investment, the number of operating enterprises divided into small and micro-enterprises, and the indirect impact on these are demonstrated. indicators of cluster associations in regions with high indicators and growth rates. The directions for the further development of cluster policy in the regions, primarily for local self-government bodies and regional authorities, have been determined. Thanks to the focused policy of decentralization and promotion of the development of clusters by the "Ukrainian Cluster Alliance", which is the main coordination center for the development of clusters in Ukraine, it is possible to accelerate the socio-economic development of the regions of Ukraine by introducing changes to the state legislation, developing by the Government of Ukraine programs to support the cluster movement, which should become the object of further research.