Mechanisms of international technology transfer of the EU countries in the context of global digitalization: challenges, trends, prospects

Abstract

The article examines the current aspects of international technology transfer in the countries of the European Union in the context of global digitalization. In the modern world, digital transformations are fundamentally changing the mechanisms of technological exchange between states, companies and research institutions, leading to the need to rethink traditional approaches to innovation management. The article emphasizes that for the European Union, technology transfer is not only a tool for innovative development, but also an important factor in geoeconomic sustainability and the formation of a single digital space. Given the growing complexity and multilevel nature of global economic relations, an effective technology transfer policy requires an interdisciplinary and interinstitutional approach based on the principles of open innovation, cooperation and joint development. European digital initiatives, including the Digital Single Market, Horizon Europe, the European Innovation Council and others, play an important role in this process. They create conditions for the integration of digital solutions into all links of the value chain –  from research and development to commercialization. The article highlights the problem of digital inequality both within the EU and globally, where countries with less developed digital infrastructure – Ukraine – risk being on the periphery of technological progress. The article substantiates that increasing the efficiency of international technology transfer is possible only under the conditions of strategic coordination of digital policies, the development of a single regulatory framework, the activation of cross-border cooperation and the formation of inclusive innovation ecosystems. Special attention is paid to the issue of strengthening the role of Ukraine in the European space of technological exchange as a factor of its economic modernization and gradual overcoming of the digital divide. Thus, the approach proposed in the article allows for a comprehensive assessment of current trends in technology transfer in the context of digital transformation, to identify systemic challenges and promising directions for the development of innovation cooperation policy.