Marina Celika

Type of the article: Research Article

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the current state of collaboration between universities and businesses, identify obstacles, and propose solutions based on international experience, regional characteristics, and the challenges of Ukraine’s post-war economic reconstruction. The article examines the role of universities in smart development, using international experience and the results of an original sociological study conducted in Ukraine in 2025 as a reference point. The empirical basis includes two surveys: one of local authorities with 111 respondents and one of businesses with 300 respondents. The research methodology uses descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression to determine the factors that influence cooperation between higher education institutions (HEIs), local authorities, and businesses regarding smart and sustainable development. The results demonstrate the structurally weak integration of universities into local smart development ecosystems. The study’s originality lies in identifying the main obstacles to developing cooperation between universities, businesses, and local authorities: bureaucratic barriers, inflexibility, and outdated management systems in local authorities and higher education institutions; and a lack of initiative and incentives for cooperation among all stakeholders. The article confirms the insufficient awareness of Ukrainian universities’ role as drivers of socioeconomic development and their potential to become powerful agents of change if their innovation and entrepreneurial capacity is strengthened. The practical significance of the results is to identify areas for improving interaction and overcoming obstacles. The key to doing so is strengthening through digitalization, which will transform the participants and their internal structure, as well as all communication and interaction between them.