INTELLECTUAL BUSINESS AS A KEY DRIVER OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS IN THE ERA OF DIGITAL GLOBALIZATION
Abstract
The article examines the role of intellectual business as a leading factor in the transformation of contemporary international economic relations in the context of digital globalization. Intellectual business is defined as a form of entrepreneurial activity based on the creation, accumulation, and commercialization of intellectual assets – knowledge, technologies, data, algorithms, and intellectual property objects. The study analyzes the evolution of intellectual business – from classical economics, which emphasized physical factors of production, through the post-industrial society and the knowledge economy, to the modern artificial intelligence economy, characterized by the dominant role of data and machine learning algorithms. The theoretical approaches of leading scholars are considered, including the works of P. Drucker on knowledge management, T. Stewart on intellectual capital, E. Brynjolfsson and E. McAfee on the second machine age, and K. Schwab on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It is proven that the transition to a data and AI-driven economy is radically changing the structure of value creation, the mechanisms of international trade, and the architecture of global value chains. It is revealed that intellectual business promotes the concentration of high added value in intellectual segments of global production, strengthening the competitive positions of technological leaders – the USA, China, and the EU – while creating structural technological dependence for countries focused on physical production and raw material exports. The key geo-economic consequences are identified: the deepening of the digital divide, growing technological dependence, and fragmentation of the global economy into competing technological blocs. Based on international experience, strategic recommendations for Ukraine are formulated, taking into account its strong IT sector and EU candidate status. These include the development of a National Strategy for the Development of Intellectual Business until 2035, establishment of a National Intellectual Fund, stimulation of R&D through tax incentives, development of human capital in STEM fields, and priority development of defense technologies, agritech, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence as strategic directions of national specialization.
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