Industrial parks as a tool for developing the regional economy: retrospective and development problems

Based on a retrospective analysis, it has been proven that the development of industrial parks actually contributes to the creation of clusters of competitive industries and the expansion of production chains. Ultimately, this has a positive impact on the balanced economic development of regions. Therefore, in Ukraine, where the issue of economic clustering has always been a strategic development priority, experts in this field have begun to actively support the development of IPs by developing appropriate mechanisms for implementing cluster initiatives. Based on an analysis of official regulatory documents, it has been established that a significant transformation of state policy on the development of industrial parks began in 2021–2022 with the authorities' attempt to update the issue of stimulating them in terms of attracting investment in development and to increase public interest in these processes at the legislative level. The peculiarities of the development of the IP network in Ukraine in the current conditions have been identified and substantiated, including the dynamic growth of applications for their creation, an increase in the number of private parks, a concrete definition of strategic prospects, an increase in the number of predicted participants with investments in the parks being created, the emergence of real and competent management companies, the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses, a focus on the formation of eco-industrial parks, and the activation of regional authorities and local communities. The general factors that encourage the creation of industrial parks and are key motivators for the initiators of this process have been identified. It has been established that the total volume of capital investments in Ukraine as a whole in 2023 reached the 2019 level and increased significantly compared to 2022, with the largest amounts recorded in the Kyiv, Lviv, Rivne, and Vinnytsia regions, which correlates with the implementation of IP introduction programs. Based on an analysis of the correlation between the smart specializations declared in the regional development strategies and the sectoral specifics of existing successful IPs in these territories, the need to update and revise the content of these strategies has been demonstrated, and strengthening coordination in terms of interconnection and harmonization of state policy to stimulate the development of industrial parks and regional development strategies.