Approaches to forming the economic security of ukraine’s machine-building complex and foreign countries in the context of international economic activity

The article explores approaches to forming the economic security of Ukraine’s machine-building complex, drawing on international experience and global economic activity. In the context of globalization and increasing competition, Ukrainian enterprises need to enhance productivity, which is currently 40% lower than in EU countries. In 2023, the capital assets per worker amounted to approximately 1.5 million UAH, almost half of that in Poland and the Czech Republic. The machine-building sector requires 5–7 billion UAH investments annually over the next five years to reach European productivity standards. Analysis shows that a 10% increase in automation could boost productivity by 8% and reduce costs by 5%, allowing export volumes to rise to 20 billion UAH annually, up from the current 14 billion UAH, contributing up to 1 billion USD in annual foreign currency inflows to the economy. Applying technology gap and economic security theories in practice supports the development of state policy strategies to bridge technological gaps, strengthen national economic security in the machine-building sector, and maintain global competitiveness. An adapted formula for assessing the technology gap in the machine-building sector between Ukraine (country U) and a developed country (country D) demonstrates this need. For example, the technology index for Ukraine’s aquaculture sector stands at 40, compared to 90 in Norway, with a 55.6% gap indicating significant technological lag in the aquaculture industry. This suggests a need for modernization, increased automation, and investments in eco-friendly technologies to improve efficiency and competitiveness internationally. The study’s findings underline that applying technology gap theory can help define strategic approaches to narrowing the gap with more developed countries and creating a modern technological foundation essential for enhancing the competitiveness of the country’s machine-building sector. Keywords: machine-building complex, industry, economic security, investment, international economic activity, competitiveness, state policy, regulation, world market, foreign countries.