RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION ENTERPRISES IN UKRAINE DURING THE WAR: TRENDS, CHALLENGES, AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS
Abstract
The article examines the impact of war-related factors on the functioning and development of research and production enterprises in Ukraine under conditions of full-scale war. It is substantiated that research and production enterprises constitute an important element of the national innovation system, as they ensure the development of new technologies, the implementation of research results in production processes, and the formation of the country’s technological potential.The study establishes that the full-scale military aggression significantly transformed the operating environment of research and production enterprises, intensifying the influence of military risks on innovation activity. The main direct and indirect consequences of the war for the research and innovation sector are analyzed, including the destruction of industrial and scientific infrastructure, damage to laboratories and research centers, loss of equipment, relocation of enterprises, disruption of logistics chains, energy instability, and rising production costs. Based on data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the article assesses the human resource potential, R&D financing structure, and regional characteristics of the development of research and production enterprises. It is determined that the war substantially aggravated the personnel crisis in the R&D sector due to mobilization, migration processes, and the shortage of highly qualified specialists.The study proves that the level of R&D financing in Ukraine remains critically insufficient and is characterized by a significant dependence on public funding alongside limited participation of private business. At the same time, wartime conditions stimulated the development of certain defense-related technologies and intensified international support for innovation activities. Particular attention is paid to the regional dynamics of R&D development, especially in the Kharkiv region, where partial recovery of innovation activity and the exceeding of certain pre-war indicators were observed in 2024. It is substantiated that the experience of the Kharkiv region demonstrates a high level of adaptability of the regional research and production system and confirms the feasibility of developing regional innovation clusters and hubs as instruments for the post-war restoration of Ukraine’s innovation potential.
References
Державна служба статистики України. Наука та інновації. URL: https://ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/menu/menu_u/ni.htm (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
Жукович І. А. Витрати на наукові дослідження і розробки: методологічні засади розрахунку та світові тенденції фінансування наукової сфери. Статистика України. 2024. № 2(105). С. 35–45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31767/su.2(105)2024.02.04
OECD(2015).Frascati Manual 2015. Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development. The Measurement of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Activities. Paris: 2015. 400 p. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264239012-en
Інститут економічних досліджень та політичних консультацій. Український бізнес під час війни: щомісячне опитування підприємств. 2026. URL: http://www.ier.com.ua/files/Projects/2026/NRES/
_NRES_January_UKR_FINAL_.pdf (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
Porter M.E. Location, competition, and economic development: Local clusters in a global economy. Economic Development Quarterly. 2000. Vol. 14(1). P. 15–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/089124240001400105
World Bank, European Commission, Government of Ukraine. Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5). 2025. URL: https://www.kmu.gov.ua (дата звернення: 05.11.2025).
KSE Institute. Втрати економіки України внаслідок війни. 2025. URL: https://gmk.center (дата звернення: 05.11.2025).
Reuters. Ukraine steel output capacity down 81%. 2026. URL: https://www.reuters.com (дата звернення: 05.11.2025).
European Commission (2020).Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020. Official Journal of the European Union. 2020. URL: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2020/1197/oj (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
Державний комітет України з питань технічного регулювання та споживчої політики (2010).Класифікація видів економічної діяльності ДК 009:2010. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
OECD(2024). Research and Development Statistics. 2024. URL: https://www.oecd.org (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
World Bank(2026). World Development Indicators. URL: https://data.worldbank.org (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
Eurostat(2026). Research and development expenditure. URL: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
Український інститут науково-технічної експертизи та інформації (2026). Аналітичні матеріали щодо розвитку науки та інноваційної діяльності в Україні. URL: https://ukrintei.ua (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
Інститут освітньої аналітики(2026). Наукова та науково-технічна діяльність в Україні: аналітичні огляди. URL: https://iea.gov.ua (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
Новікова О. Ф. Стан, проблеми та можливості забезпечення стійкості промисловості України в умовах війни. Економіка та суспільство. 2024. № 68. URL: https://economyandsociety.in.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/5075 (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
International Monetary Fund(2024). The impact of conflict on productivity and R&D-intensive sectors. 2024. URL: https://www.imf.org (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
Ganguli I. (2024). War and science. Journal of Political Economy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/727771
European Commission(2022). The impact of the war in Ukraine on research and innovation. 2022. URL: https://apre.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ KIBD22004ENN.en_.pdf (дата звернення: 05.04.2026).
State Statistics Service of Ukraine (2026). Nauka ta innovatsii [Science and innovation]. Available at: https://ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/menu/menu_u/ni.htm (accessed April 5, 2026).
Zhukovych I.A. (2024) Vytraty na naukovi doslidzhennia i rozrobky: metodolohichni zasady rozrakhunku ta svitovi tendentsii finansuvannia naukovoi sfery [R&D spending: The methodological framework for measurement and global tendencies in R&D financing]. Statystyka Ukrainy, vol. 2(105), pp. 35–45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31767/su.2(105)2024.02.04 (in Ukrainian)
OECD (2015). Frascati Manual 2015: Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development. Paris: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264239012-en
Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (2026). Ukrainskyi biznes pid chas viiny: shchomisiachne opytuvannia pidpryiemstv [Ukrainian business during the war: Monthly enterprise survey]. Available at: http://www.ier.com.ua/files/Projects/2026/NRES/2026_NRES_January_UKR_FINAL_.pdf (accessed April 5, 2026).
Porter M.E. (2000) Location, competition, and economic development: Local clusters in a global economy. Economic Development Quarterly, vol. 14(1), pp. 15–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/089124240001400105
World Bank, European Commission, & Government of Ukraine (2025). Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5). Available at: https://www.kmu.gov.ua (accessed November 5, 2025).
KSE Institute (2025). Vtraty ekonomiky Ukrainy vnaslidok viiny [Economic losses of Ukraine due to war]. Available at: https://gmk.center (accessed November 5, 2025).
Reuters (2026). Ukraine steel output capacity down 81%. Available at: https://www.reuters.com (accessed November 5, 2025).
European Commission (2020). Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020. Official Journal of the European Union. Available at: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2020/1197/oj (accessed April 5, 2026).
State Committee of Ukraine for Technical Regulation and Consumer Policy (2010). Klasyfikatsiia vydiv ekonomichnoi diialnosti DK 009:2010 [Classification of types of economic activity DK 009:2010]. Available at: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua (accessed April 5, 2026).
OECD (2024). Research and Development Statistics. Available at: https://www.oecd.org (accessed April 5, 2026).
World Bank (2026). World Development Indicators. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org (accessed April 5, 2026).
Eurostat (2026). Research and development expenditure. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (accessed April 5, 2026).
Ukrainian Institute of Scientific and Technical Expertise and Information (2026). Analitychni materialy shchodo rozvytku nauky ta innovatsiinoi diialnosti v Ukraini [Analytical materials on science and innovation development in Ukraine]. Available at: https://ukrintei.ua (accessed April 5, 2026).
Institute of Educational Analytics (2026). Naukova ta naukovo-tekhnichna diialnist v Ukraini: analitychni ohliady [Scientific and technical activity in Ukraine: Analytical reports]. Available at: https://iea.gov.ua (accessed April 5, 2026).
Novikova O.F. (2024) Stan, problemy ta mozhlyvosti zabezpechennia stiikosti promyslovosti Ukrainy v umovakh viiny [State, problems and opportunities for ensuring the resilience of Ukrainian industry under war conditions]. Ekonomika ta suspilstvo, no. 68. Available at: https://economyandsociety.in.ua/index.php/ journal/article/view/5075 (accessed April 5, 2026). (in Ukrainian)
International Monetary Fund (2024). The impact of conflict on productivity and R&D-intensive sectors. Available at: https://www.imf.org (accessed April 5, 2026).
Ganguli I. (2024) War and science. Journal of Political Economy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/727771
European Commission (2022). The impact of the war in Ukraine on research and innovation. Available at: https://apre.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ KIBD22004ENN.en_.pdf (accessed April 5, 2026).
Copyright (c) 2026 Володимир Бережний
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
