INNOVATION POTENTIAL OF UKRAINE: CHALLENGES, PROSPECTS AND DRIVERS OF DEVELOPMENT

The article studies theoretical and methodological approaches to determining the essence of the concept of "innovation", "innovation activity", "innovation potential" of Ukraine through the prism of the financial and agro-industrial sectors. The author's definition of innovation potential is provided and the use of innovation potential in the agro-industrial complex is characterized. Innovations in agriculture are characterized by categories: technological, organizational, environmental, informational, social. The legislative aspects of innovation activity, the role of artificial intelligence in the development of fintech, as well as the impact of modern technologies on the agricultural sector are analyzed. It has been established that a significant increase in the international presence of Ukrainian companies indicates the growing competitiveness of fintech products in the global market. Such dynamics reflect the market's orientation not only to internal recovery, but also to expansion into the external environment, which in the future may provide access to new customers and additional resources for innovation. The results of a survey of experts are reflected, which show that the most significant impact on the financial sector in the near future is expected from artificial intelligence. The main trends for the agricultural sector and the effectiveness of indicators of agribusiness enterprises that have introduced innovations have been identified. Examples of companies that actively develop and apply technological innovations in agriculture are given as a world leader in the production of agricultural machinery, which constantly introduces advanced technologies to improve the quality, reliability and safety of their equipment: digitalization, automation, remote control and artificial intelligence. Special attention is paid to assessing Ukraine's position in the Global Innovation Index, its dynamics and main barriers to development. It has been established that agricultural enterprises that actively introduce innovations demonstrate a significant improvement in financial and economic indicators, such as an increase in profitability, an increase in profitability, an increase in exports, and an increase in labor productivity. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of indicators indicating the growth of innovation potential despite difficult socio-economic conditions is presented.