INNOVATION-DRIVEN DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AS THE BASIS FOR THE FORMATION OF THE CREATIVE ECONOMY

Abstract

The article explores innovation‑driven digital development as the key material and technological foundation for the emergence and expansion of the creative economy. Using a comparative analytical approach and drawing on official international and Ukrainian statistical and analytical sources, the study outlines the global, European, and Ukrainian dimensions of the creative economy and identifies the structural and digital factors that shape its current trajectory in Ukraine. Particular attention is paid to the composition of Ukrainian creative industries, which historically integrate cultural production, media and communication activities, and rapidly developing digital‑technological sectors. The analysis demonstrates that before the full‑scale war the national structure of the creative economy was characterized by a significant role of the information technology sector, which generated a considerable share of value added and employment within the broader creative industries framework. The article synthesizes a set of empirical indicators reflecting the digital environment in which the sector evolves. These include the level of internet penetration among the population, the spread of digital interaction tools such as the NBU BankID system and the Diia digital public services ecosystem. The combined assessment of these indicators indicates that the development of the creative economy in Ukraine is supported by a relatively dense and dynamic digital infrastructure. While digital outputs and innovation capacities demonstrate comparatively strong performance, the institutional framework, market infrastructure, and mechanisms that enable stable scaling and long‑term sectoral growth remain less developed. As a result, the creative economy operates on a technologically advanced. The practical contribution of the article lies in the systematization of key empirical indicators that make it possible to evaluate the real innovation‑driven digital basis of creative economy development in Ukraine and to better understand the structural conditions influencing its future transformation.