INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AS A FACTOR OF NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS LEVEL INCREASE
Introduction. In 2016, according to the World Economic Forum, Ukraine was 85th among 138 countries in terms of national competitiveness. The competitiveness of the national economy is decreasing due to the lack of legal and institutional mechanisms that support competition; drawdown of entrepreneur-innovators; low level of per capital income; military aggression of the neighboring state, growth of corruption and inability of the authorities to counteract this proclivity. Sagging of competitiveness is to a large extent due to further deterioration of basic infrastructure provision of economic activity and significant lagging behind in the creation of a new generation infrastructure, including technological and scientific infrastructure.Purpose. The objective of the article is justification for the necessity of the priority development of the national economy infrastructure as a factor of increasing the competitiveness level.Results. The competitiveness of the national economy is determined to be the subject of research of various international economic scientific schools, individual scolars, international institutions and organizations. The main areas of research are to clarify the content of the economic category of "competitiveness", the determination of factors that shape its level, the definition of the level (rating) of competitiveness and the development of strategies, policies, mechanisms for managing the processes of its improving. Empoiwerment of infrastructure development on economic growth and the level of competitiveness of the national economy are determined. It was emphasized that the modernization of global, regional, national infrastructures in recent years is based on reorganization, improvement of the quality of utilization of existing infrastructure and implementation of "breakthrough" infrastructure projects. The necessity of revision of the approaches to assessing the impact of the level of gross fixed capital accumulation (investment into the realm) on the level of infrastructure development and competitiveness, the definition of the strategic principles of investment, science and education policy, which should be aimed at supporting the development of the "infrastructure conglomerate" of the national economy which integrates the basic, technological and scientific infrastructure is justified. The trends of gross accumulation in different groups of countries of the world and in Ukraine during the period of independence are established. The factors influencing the parameters of gross accumulation and the consequences of changes in the investment processes in the national economies are determined. The methodological approach of the International Institute for Management Development to determine the level of competitiveness of national economies is analyzed. The profile of Ukraine in the rating of digital competitiveness is analyzed and the necessity of forming special programs for filing an infrastructure lag is determined.Originality. Trends of gross accumulation in developed countries, developing countries and transition economies are determined. The peculiarities of the implementation of gross accumulation in Ukraine during the period of independence are determined and the need to increase the investment attractiveness of the country, implementation of state, state-private infrastructure projects, development of international cooperation in this area is emphasized. The factors influencing the parameters of gross accumulation and the consequences of changes in the investment processes in the national economies are determined. The specificity of the methodological approach of the International Institute for Management Development for determining the level of competitiveness of national economies, which involves considerable attention to infrastructure factors, is determined. The profile of Ukraine in the rating of digital competitiveness is analyzed and the necessity of forming special programs for filing an infrastructure lag is determined.Conclusion. The level of competitiveness of the country as an indicator of the state's ability to create an environment for development, to accumulate values and to raise people's standard of living is determined by a considerable quantity of factors that reflect the peculiarities of the external and internal environment. One of the most important factors is the level of infrastructure development, which depends on the volumes and distribution of gross fixed capital accumulation among different sectors of the economy. Significant volumes of gross accumulation of gross capital in some countries of the world make it possible to increase the level of competitiveness. In developed countries, stable amounts of gross accumulation (about 20%) are quite favorable due to the availability of efficient and modern infrastructure, the need for modernization measures (which are cheaper compared to new construction) and the implementation of joint projects that involve the use of benefits of all economic agents, which reduces their cost. Ukraine has recorded very low (compared to the average in the world and in developed countries) indicators of gross fixed capital accumulation in almost all years of independence, which led to a drop in the level of economic development and competitiveness of national economy. In order to increase the competitiveness of the national economy, special infrastructure development programs, including technological and scientific, are needed.