Olena Zayats

У статті досліджено глобальні детермінанти становлення цифрової економіки України в процесі євроінтеграції. У роботі запропоновано авторську модель зовнішньої детермінації цифрової економіки України. Обґрунтовано, що європейська інтеграція формує для України рамку нормативного зближення та відкриває механізми цифрової модернізації через розвиток економіки даних, цифрової довіри, інтероперабельності, кіберстійкості, інноваційної інфраструктури та транскордонних електронних комунікацій. Показано, що господарський ефект цифрової інтеграції проявляється у зниженні регуляторної невизначеності, скороченні трансакційних витрат, розширенні доступу до ширшого цифрового ринку та посиленні спроможності бізнесу, передусім МСП, до цифрової модернізації. Успішність становлення цифрової економіки України залежить від здатності синхронізувати правове зближення з розвитком інституційної спроможності, інфраструктури даних, цифрової довіри, кіберстійкості та адаптації бізнесу до правил цифрового ринку.

Disruptions in urban supply chains increase the risk of reduced access to medicines whose continuous availability is important for public health. This article develops an open-data decision support system (DSS) framework for assessing medicine availability under shortage and node-failure scenarios. The empirical application combines redeemed e-prescription data from the Ukrainian reimbursement program for 2022–2025 with the registry of dispensing points under National Health Service of Ukraine contracts and applies a unified scenario design to Kyiv and Lviv. The results show that demand is more concentrated in Lviv: the top 10 dispensing nodes account for 29.7% of redeemed e-prescriptions, compared with 14.2% in Kyiv. The proposed DSS supports the redistribution of limited available volume across spatial zones; it does not generate additional supply. Its value lies in identifying where lower-tail coverage, service coverage gaps, and redistribution-distance constraints should be monitored under explicitly defined stress-test assumptions. The framework is therefore positioned as a scenario-based planning tool rather than as a real-time inventory-management system.

Agricultural exports remain a system-forming element of Ukraine’s economy, with the EU market holding its position as a key destination. The change in the trade regime in 2025 – the expiration of the Autonomous Trade Measures and the revision of the DCFTA – led to a decrease in agricultural exports to the EU by USD 2.1 billion. The key scientific problem is the insufficient understanding of the nature of these changes: whether they represent only a short-term adjustment or indicate a deeper commodity-geographical restructuring of the export model. The article aims to identify the patterns of this reorientation under the new conditions of access to the EU market. Based on the analysis of data from the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and Eurostat, the hypothesis of an asymmetric reaction of key product groups (grains, oilseeds, sugar, poultry meat) to institutional changes is confirmed. The study shows that the observed shifts point to the emergence of a structurally heterogeneous adaptation pattern rather than a uniform short-term adjustment: from an increase in Ukraine’s share in EU imports of wheat (to 23%) and sunflower oil (to 92%) to its decrease for corn (to 42%) and rapeseed (to 23%). Based on this, a typology of product group reactions is developed, substantiating that long-term adaptation requires not only geographical diversification but also a change in the export model towards deeper processing. The obtained results hold practical value for formulating a differentiated export strategy for the state and agricultural businesses, one that considers the varying degrees of product groups’ dependence on the EU market and their potential for reorientation. The new configuration of the trade regime with the EU requires Ukraine to transition to a long-term model of agricultural export adaptation, which combines market diversification, structural modernization, processing development, and a gradual shift from raw material exports to products with higher added value. A promising direction for futher research is to asses the impact of the new configuration of the DCFTA on the processing segments of Ukraine’s agricultural exports in 2026–2027, as well as to analyze the extent to which the change in the trade regime will stimulate internal structural modernization of the agricultural sector.

This paper examines how Ukraine’s economic restructuring can be guided strategically through the implementation of EU legislation, using a multi-dimensional competitiveness framework. This is because formal legislative alignment with EU legislation has not resulted in full functional convergence with the EU's economic model. The primary purpose of the study is to develop and implement a multi-dimensional competitiveness framework that links the implementation of EU legislation to the restructuring of Ukraine’s economy. This framework is designed to systematically align Ukraine's institutional reforms, structural modernisation and innovation-driven transformation with the demands of the EU Single Market. To this end, the study will construct a five-dimensional competitiveness index to support acquis-driven economic restructuring. The methodology is firmly rooted in the JRC-OECD Handbook on Composite Indicators. The research employs a structured procedure that begins with the compilation of a harmonised dataset from exclusive international sources, including Eurostat, the World Bank and the OECD. A key step in the methodology is normalising all heterogeneous indicators onto a comparable 0–100 scale using a min–max transformation based on normative ranges derived from the EU-27 and Central and Eastern European comparator countries. The empirical results provide a clear, quantifiable assessment. The pilot calculation reveals that Ukraine's composite IGCS score is 40.8 points, compared to 70.9 points for the EU-27. This indicates a significant convergence gap of 42.5%. A detailed dimensional analysis reveals the structure of this gap. Ukraine demonstrates relative strength in macroeconomic resilience and innovation, driven by a specialised IT export sector. However, these strengths are offset by profound weaknesses. The institutional dimension reveals a significant discrepancy between the high level of implementation of formal acquis and the weak enforcement of the rule of law. These findings have substantial practical implications for policymakers in Ukraine and the EU. They highlight the need for institutional reform to shift focus from legislative transposition to enhancing judicial independence and regulatory enforcement, treating this as a critical macro-priority. Innovation policy must also extend beyond the IT sector in order to address systemic underinvestment in R&D. Most importantly, the green transition must form the core of reconstruction strategies to avoid future competitiveness cliffs. The study's originality and value lie in its novel synthesis of a tailored competitiveness index for a post-conflict accession economy, its combination of theoretical convergence concepts with empirical measurement, and its provision of a replicable, evidence-based framework for guiding modernisation and integration policies. This framework fills a critical gap in the existing literature and provides an evidence-based foundation for restructuring Ukraine’s economy in line with EU Single Market requirements.

This article provides a comprehensive, multi-dimensional investigation into the institutional and structural effects shaping the realization of Ukraine’s competitive advantages within its European integration trajectory. The research is grounded in a robust analytical framework that dissects the critical «institutional vacuum» – the persistent gap between formal legislative alignment with the EU acquis communautaire and the tangible maturity of key economic sectors to capitalize on Single Market opportunities. Through a detailed sectoral analysis, the study quantifies the structural reserves and competitive potential of Ukraine’s core economies: the high-tech IT sector, the resource-rich agricultural complex, the industry undergoing Green Deal-driven modernization, and the strategically vital transport and logistics corridors. Empirical modelling, enriched by comparative benchmarking with the post-accession experiences of Central and Eastern European countries such as Poland, Romania, and Estonia, forms the core of the methodological approach. The findings robustly demonstrate that macroeconomic benefits and sustainable convergence with the EU are contingent upon a critical synergy between deep institutional reforms–enhancing regulatory capacity, rule of law, and governance quality–and profound structural transformations aimed at modernizing production, fostering innovation, and integrating into global value chains. The study meticulously assesses the triad of integration effects–trade expansion, investment attraction, and technology transfer–revealing their interconnected nature and cumulative impact on productivity and economic resilience. The conclusion underscores that transforming Ukraine into a regional IT hub and a leading EU agro-producer is an achievable yet non-automatic outcome, requiring a decisive shift from a reactive adaptation model to a proactive development strategy where every institutional reform is evaluated through the prism of its contribution to structural competitiveness and long-term national resilience.

У статті комплексно досліджено коопетицію як стратегічну парадигму глобальної економіки, що інтегрує елементи конкуренції та співпраці. Проаналізовано теоретичні засади концепції, починаючи від робіт засновників інституціональної економіки Т. Веблена та Д. Коммонса, які першими довели соціальну вкоріненість економічних процесів, через теорію відкритих інновацій Г. Чесбро до сучасних теорій глобальної коопетиції Я. Луо. Доведено, що коопетиція є адаптивною стратегією, яка дозволяє компаніям різного рівня, державам та міжнародним інтеграційним об'єднанням ефективно функціонувати в умовах ресурсних обмежень, ринкової невизначеності та глобальних викликів. Особливу увагу приділено аналізу регуляторних механізмів різних рівнів - від національних антимонопольних органів до міжнародних інституцій таких як СОТ, які забезпечують баланс між кооперацією та конкуренцією. На прикладі Арктичного регіону детально продемонстровано, як геополітичне суперництво за ресурси та транспортні коридори поєднується з інтенсивною науково-технологічною співпрацею. Дослідження включає аналіз типологій коопетиції, механізмів її впровадження та практичних кейсів міжнародних альянсів. Висновки підкреслюють, що коопетиція стає ключовим механізмом адаптації до динамічних змін сучасної економіки, зокрема через розвиток цифрових платформ, інноваційних екосистем та глобальних мереж, і визначає майбутнє міжнародних економічних відносин.

The purpose of this study is to examine Ireland's foreign policy evolution as it navigates the tension between its long-standing military neutrality and growing engagement in European security integration, prompted by geopolitical shifts and EU collective defence imperatives. The research explores how Ireland balances its non-aligned identity, rooted in its historical struggle for sovereignty, with pragmatic participation in EU and NATO frameworks amid challenges such as Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and maritime activities in Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The methodology employed a qualitative case-study approach with discourse analysis, drawing on official government documents (e.g., Defence Commission Report, EU Strategic Compass), parliamentary debates from the Oireachtas, media reports (e.g., Irish Times, RTÉ), academic literature, and the 2023 Consultative Forum on International Security Policy. Process tracing is utilised to monitor policy decisions made by Ireland, including its involvement in PESCO and NATO's Individual Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP). A comparative analysis with neutral states such as Austria, Sweden, and Malta is employed to provide contextual background information regarding Ireland's strategic choices. The results of the study indicate a shift in Ireland's foreign policy towards what has been termed "adaptive neutrality". This is characterised by a selective engagement in EU defence initiatives such as PESCO (four non-combat projects by 2023) and the Strategic Compass, alongside limited NATO co-operation through the ITPP, while maintaining non-alignment. Domestic debates over the 'triple lock' mechanism highlight polarised views, with 61% public support for neutrality but only 40% endorsing the UN mandate's necessity, reflecting openness to EU co-operation among younger voters. The recalibration of the EU's approach is driven by external pressures, including Russia's actions and Ireland's 2026 EU Council presidency. However, it is important to note that neutrality remains a rhetorical pillar. The practical implications of this analysis include the recommendation to reform the "triple lock" to enhance EU mission flexibility, with an increase in defence spending to 0.5% of GDP by 2030 to address maritime and cyber vulnerabilities, and the leveraging of Ireland's normative role as a UN peacekeeper to shape EU strategic autonomy. These steps ensure that Ireland maintains its credibility as an EU partner while preserving its neutral identity. Value/Оriginality. The study introduces the concept of adaptive neutrality as a dynamic framework through which to understand Ireland’s foreign policy, offering a fresh perspective on the agency of small states in a Europe that is rearming. By integrating Ireland’s EU engagement, domestic discourse, and comparative insights, it fills gaps in post-2022 analyses and contributes to international relations theory and policy debates on the relevance of neutrality in a volatile security landscape.