ANALYSIS OF TALENT-ORIENTED DETERMINANTS OF ENTERPRISES' INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article discusses the importance of talent development as a key factor for a nation's innovation ability and, consequently, the innovation performance of the business sector. The study empirically confirms the link between talent competitiveness and a country’s innovation capacity, showing that economies with better conditions for developing, attracting, and keeping talent tend to achieve higher innovation results. The methodological approach combines comparative analysis with statistical evaluation of the relationship between the Global Innovation Index and the IMD World Talent Ranking in an international setting. The findings demonstrate that talent-related factors should be viewed not just as support elements but as a strategic lever for innovation-driven growth. The practical significance of the findings is their usefulness in shaping talent-focused development policies at both national and corporate levels. For public policy, the results support prioritizing investments in education quality, lifelong learning, and institutional mechanisms that lower barriers to talent retention and mobility. For businesses, the conclusions emphasize the need to enhance human-capital strategies through systematic upskilling, transparent competence frameworks, and career development tools aligned with innovation goals. In this way, talent management becomes a measurable driver of innovation capacity rather than a mere HR slogan. In the Ukrainian context, the study underscores the importance of creating an ecosystem that transforms human potential into sustainable innovation outcomes by coordinating efforts among government, education, and business stakeholders. Moreover, the study offers a comparative benchmark that can be used to track progress over time and to justify targeted interventions aimed at strengthening national and corporate innovation ecosystems.