DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION AS A PREREQUISITE FOR INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECONOMY
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Abstract
The subject of the present study is the digital transformation of higher education as an institutional prerequisite for innovative activity and technological development of the economy. The work considers the digitalisation of universities as a mechanism for accelerating the reproduction of human capital, enhancing the quality of competence training, and reducing time lags between the generation of knowledge and its practical application in business and the public sector. The theoretical basis of the study is formed by modern approaches to the knowledge economy and innovation ecosystems, within which universities are treated as key elements of technological modernisation through education, science, knowledge transfer, and interaction with industry. The objective of the present study is twofold: firstly, to provide a robust theoretical and empirical basis for understanding the impact of digital transformation on innovation processes and technological upgrading in the economy; and secondly, to identify the key channels of such impact in the context of the growing role of digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and educational analytics. The research methodology is based on systemic, institutional and structural-functional approaches. These are supplemented by a comparative analysis of university digitalisation practices and a logical generalisation of the mechanisms of competence formation. Analytical and synthetic methods were employed to develop an integrated conceptual framework combining the infrastructural, organisational, pedagogical and managerial elements of digital transformation in higher education. The results obtained prove that comprehensive digital transformation has the greatest effect on innovative activity. This occurs when the architecture of the learning platform, digital resources and laboratory facilities are modernised simultaneously; when the digital competencies of personnel are enhanced; when personalisation and learning analytics mechanisms are introduced; and when sustainable models of co-operation between universities and industry are formed. The conclusions show that digital educational platforms and intellectual learning support tools speed up programme updates, reduce the cost of accessing knowledge and expand opportunities for continuous learning. This is important for the rapid diffusion of technologies and adapting to the labour market. The study's practical value lies in its potential to inform the development of digital university strategies aimed at increasing innovation potential, technological competitiveness and economic sustainability.
How to Cite
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
digitaliіation, digital university, digital transformation, higher education, innovative activity, technological development, human capital
Alenezi, M. (2021). Deep dive into digital transformation in higher education institutions. Education Sciences, 11(12), 770. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120770
Andersen (2022) Explaining IT Outsourcing in Ukraine during the War. Available at: https://andersenlab.com/blueprint/it-outsourcing-in-ukraine
Antonopoulou, K., Begkos, C., & Zhu, Z. (2023). Staying afloat amidst extreme uncertainty: A case study of digital transformation in higher education. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 192, 122603. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122603
Berlin Global Dialogue (2025) How Ukraine’s Digital State is Driving Resilience and Reinvention. Available at: https://www.berlinglobaldialogue.org/resources/how-ukraine-is-developing-digital-leadership-in-a-multipolar-world
Bobro, N., Bielikov, V., Matveyeva, M., Salamakha, A., & Kharchun, V. (2025). Innovations in public administration and management for implementing effective strategies and tools. Salud, Ciencia y Tecnología – Serie de Conferencias, 4, 1–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56294/sctconf20251483
Bobro, N., Lisova, R., Parfentieva, O., Dmytrovska, V., & Kyrylenko, S. (2025). Digital transformation for cost optimisation and sustainable business operations. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 14(2), 158–172. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14207/ejsd.2025.v14n2p158
Bravo-Jaico, J., Maquen-Niño, G. L. E., Germán, N., Valdivia, C., Alarcón, R., Aquino, J., & Serquén, O. (2025). Assessing digital transformation maturity in higher education institutions: A correlational analysis by actors and dimensions. Frontiers in Computer Science, 7, 1549262. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2025.1549262
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (2022) Stratehiia tsyfrovoi transformatsii osvity i nauky na period do 2025 roku [Strategy for digital transformation of education and science until 2025] (draft). Available at: https://auc.org.ua/sites/default/files/proyekt_strategiya.pdf
Digital Skills and Jobs Platform (2024) Romania: a snapshot of digital skills. Available at: https://digital-skills-jobs.europa.eu/en/latest/briefs/romania-snapshot-digital-skills
Dushchenko, O. (2021). The current state of digital transformation in education. Physical and Mathematical Education, 28(2), 40–45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31110/2413-1571-2021-028-2-007
ETH Zurich (2024) The ETH chatbot Ethel also corrects exercises. Available at: https://ethz.ch/staffnet/en/news-and-events/internal-news/archive/2024/05/the-eth-chatbot-ethel-also-corrects-exercises.html
European University Association. (2022). Universities as key drivers of sustainable innovation ecosystems: Results of the EUA survey on universities and innovation. Brussels: EUA. Available at: https://www.eua.eu/downloads/publications/innovation%20report.pdf
European University. Vstup (Admissions website). Available at: https://vstup.e-u.com.ua
Eurostat (2024) Digitalisation in Europe – 2024 edition (interactive publication). Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/interactive-publications/digitalisation-2024
Eurostat (2024) Increase in online education in the EU in 2023. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20240124-2
Eurostat. Share of individuals having at least basic digital skills, by sex (sdg_04_70). Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/sdg_04_70/default/table
Fernández, A., Gómez, B., Binjaku, K., & Kajo Meçe, E. (2023). Digital transformation initiatives in higher education institutions: A multivocal literature review. Education and Information Technologies. Advance online publication. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11544-0
Gkrimpizi, T., Peristeras, V., & Magnisalis, I. (2023). Digital transformation in higher education: A literature review of the last five years. Education Sciences, 13(7), 746. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070746
Gkrimpizi, T., Peristeras, V., & Magnisalis, I. (2024). Defining the meaning and scope of digital transformation in higher education institutions. Administrative Sciences, 14(3), 48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14030048
Khomenko, O. O., Paustovska, M. V., & Onyshchuk, I. A. (2024). The impact of interactive technologies on the learning process and development of higher education students. Scientific Innovations and Advanced Technologies, 5(33), 1222–1231. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52058/2786-5274-2024-5(33)-1222-1231
Kortemeyer, G., Dittmann-Domenichini, N., & Merki, C. (2025). Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online at a technical university: How do students choose after the pandemic, and what about the outcome? Discover Education, 4(1), 94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00500-y
Kozhyna, A. (2022). Reducing poverty, inequality and social exclusion in European countries: Based on inclusive approaches to economic development. In Economics and Management of the National Economy: The Crisis of National Models of Economic System (pp. 29–32). DOI: https://doi.org/10.30525/978-9934-26-269-2-7
Liu, Q., Zhang, L., & Chen, Y. (2025). The driving impact of digital innovation ecosystems on enterprise digital transformation: Based on an interpretable machine learning model. Sustainability, 17(13), 5898. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135898
Marchant-Pérez, J., Fernández-Esquinas, M., Díaz-Candón, S., & Tejada, A. (2024). Integrating historical approaches of university ecosystems and institutionalism to advance the study of entrepreneurship ecosystems. Management Review Quarterly. Advance online publication. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-024-00467-4
Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine (2025) 42% of adults and 70% of teenagers use AI in Ukraine: Diia.Osvita study results. Available at: https://thedigital.gov.ua/news/education/42-doroslykh-i-70-pidlitkiv-korystuiutsia-shi-v-ukrayini-rezultaty-doslidzennia-diiaosvita
Natário, M. M. S., & Oliveira, A. R. (2025). Are universities and polytechnics engines of local innovation ecosystems? The Portuguese case. Local Economy. Advance online publication. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/02690942241288488
Ordonez‐de‐Pablos, P., & Bustinza, O. F. (2023). Can Digital Transformation Achieve Sustainable Development Goals? Emerging Practices in Digital Business and Innovation Ecosystems. Sustainability, 15(21), 17645. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su152177645
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2021). OECD digital education outlook 2021: Pushing the frontiers with AI, blockchain and robots. Paris: OECD Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/589b283f-en
Qiao, P., Li, Y., & Wang, X. (2024). The impact of the industrial innovation ecosystem on the digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises and the role of digital empowerment. Systems, 12(12), 578. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12120578
Rachinger, M., Rauter, R., Müller, C., Vorraber, W., & Schirgi, E. (2024). Digitalization and Its Influence on Business Model Innovation. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 35(2), 147–168. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-09-2023-0378
Research and Markets. Online Education Market Report. Available at: https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5953292/online-education-market-report?srsltid=AfmBOoppKYHI7tsEdiOLQWog99PbxnBgMOpElqkTV66lhIh9aoxYCPe8
Romania Insider (2025) Only a quarter of Romanians had basic digital skills in 2023, report shows. Available at: https://www.romania-insider.com/romanians-basic-digital-skills-2023-report
Safarli, C., Kolach, S., Zhyvko, M., Volskyi, O., & Bobro, N. (2024). Considering globalisation risks in the formation and implementation of international investment strategies. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences, 22(2), 100284–100293. DOI: https://doi.org/10.57239/PJLSS-2024-22.2.00776
Taxt, T., Fitjar, R. D., & Strand, Ø. (2022). The embedding of universities in innovation ecosystems. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift – Norwegian Journal of Geography, 76(4), 231–247. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00291951.2022.2076141
Trevisan, L. V., Eustachio, J. H. P. P., Dias, B. G., Leal Filho, W., & Pedrozo, E. Á. (2024). Digital transformation towards sustainability in higher education: State-of-the-art and future research insights. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26, 2789–2810. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02874-7
UNESCO. (2023). Global education monitoring report 2023: Technology in education — A tool on whose terms? Paris: UNESCO. Available at: https://www.unesco.org/gem-report
Verina, N., & Titko, J. (2019). Digital transformation: Conceptual framework. In Contemporary Issues in Business, Management and Economics Engineering (pp. 719–727). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/cibmee.2019.073
Williamson, B., Eynon, R., & Potter, J. (2020). Pandemic politics, pedagogies and practices: Digital technologies and distance education during the coronavirus emergency. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(2), 107–114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1761641
World Bank (2025) How Digitalization, New Tech Are Transforming Ukraine’s Universities. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2025/11/06/how-digitalization-new-tech-are-transforming-ukraines-universities
World Bank (2025) Ukraine – Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need (LEARN) (program document page). Available at: https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099070125112041438

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.