Intellectual Strategies for an Economic Breakthrough: Lessons from Global Leaders and Opportunities for Ukraine
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35774/visnyk2026.01.084Keywords:
intellectual economy, strategic management, innovation, human capital, digitalization, economic development, innovative civilization, competitiveness, UkraineAbstract
The paper investigates intellectual drivers of economic development under globalization and their role in shaping national breakthrough strategies. It argues that knowledge, innovation, human capital, and digital technologies determine countries’ competitiveness and the effectiveness of public economic policy. To define and to investigate the link between technological development and the potential for economic growth, taking into account the results of the highly developed nations. A comparative design, systems thinking, and structured synthesis are applied; official statistics from OECD, the World Bank, and WIPO and recent scholarship on the knowledge economy and strategic management are used. Comparing the United States, the European Union, China, and the Republic of Korea, the study identifies shared architectures of “intellect-oriented” models: institutional support for education, science, and innovation; long-term programs; multi-actor collaboration among the state, business, universities, and civil society; investments in human capital and digital infrastructure. Differences in the state–market balance are highlighted. For Ukraine, the paper outlines an “intellectual advantage without institutional backing”. A phased national strategy is proposed guided by human-centricity, innovativeness, cross-sectoral synergy, global integration, and sustainability. Building a national innovation system, empowering university–business–community clusters, increasing R&D funding, and accelerating digital transformation can shift Ukraine to a knowledge-based economy, raising productivity and long-run competitiveness.
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