The Tasks of Industrial Policy to Increase the Competitiveness of Regions and Strengthen the Economic Security of Ukraine

The article is aimed at researching modern tendencies in the industry of Ukraine, identifying problems and risks influencing its development, and specifying the measures directed towards improving the State-based industrial policy to increase the competitiveness of regions and strengthen the economic security of the country. The main systemic problems hindering the development of industry and the restoration of positive dynamics are defined, which are as follows: large-scale deindustrialization; deterioration of the technological structure of production; inefficient structure of production with the prevailing raw materials, energy-armed, «dirty» productions; weakness of cooperation relations in industry, low degree of cooperation of enterprises in value chains; consolidation of the monopoly-oligarchic model in many markets; shortage of skilled labor for industry needs; lack of a legislatively enshrined strategic course of industrial development; significant regional concentration of industry. It is indicated that at the regional level the tasks of economic development are effectively solved thanks to the concept of smart specialization (sensible specialization). A positive experience in the implementation of pilot projects of smart specialization in the regions of Ukraine is presented; the main directions of implementation of smart specialization and cluster development, which should be implemented at the level of public administration, in order to increase the competitiveness of regions and strengthen economic security in Ukraine, are determined.