GREEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: EXPERIENCE AND PROSPECTS OF THE KHARKIV REGION

Abstract

The contemporary socio-economic conditions of Ukraine require a shift in regional development policy towards sustainability, resource efficiency, and environmental responsibility. This is particularly relevant for the Kharkiv region, which faces the dual challenge of post-war recovery and the need to shape a new model of economic growth. In this context, green entrepreneurship is viewed as a key instrument for integrating ecological innovations, circular solutions, and socially responsible practices into regional development. Despite the growing interest in the green economy, mechanisms for supporting environmentally oriented businesses at the regional level remain fragmented, which necessitates a scientific analysis of their potential within the ongoing transformation of the Kharkiv regional economy.

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the theoretical principles and practical directions for the development of green entrepreneurship as a factor of sustainable regional development, and to analyse the experience and prospects of implementing environmentally oriented business models in the Kharkiv region. The theoretical basis of the study includes academic publications by Ukrainian and foreign researchers in the fields of green economy, regional development, and ecological innovations. The informational framework comprises strategic documents of the Kharkiv region, including the Regional Development Strategy for 2021–2027, the Economic and Social Development Program for 2025, and investment programmes of municipal enterprises such as Kharkivvodokanal. The research employs a system-based approach, structural-functional analysis, comparative methods, content analysis of strategic documents, and elements of case studies. The article identifies the conceptual characteristics of green entrepreneurship and its role in shaping a sustainable economic environment at the regional level. The study analyses the existing directions of ecological modernisation in the Kharkiv region, including investment projects of Kharkivvodokanal, which contribute to the development of the market for ecological innovations and create opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the modernisation of critical infrastructure. It is revealed that regional strategic documents already include prerequisites for forming a green economic model; however, the system of tools for stimulating green entrepreneurship and mechanisms for its scaling remain underdeveloped.

 Future research should focus on developing a regional model for supporting green enterprises, assessing the potential for creating green jobs, and improving the institutional environment for the implementation of ecological innovations in the reconstruction processes of the Kharkiv region. The practical significance of the study is in offering recommendations for regional authorities, businesses, and development institutions regarding the strategic integration of green entrepreneurship into the regional growth model.