Socio-economic potential of internally displaced persons in territorial innovation development

Abstract

The article explores the socio-economic potential of internally displaced persons in the context of territorial innovative development under conditions of transformational processes and regional disparities. The expediency of considering internally displaced persons not only as recipients of social support but as an important component of human capital capable of actively participating in the implementation of territorial and innovation development projects is substantiated. It is emphasized that the existing mechanisms of state support for internally displaced persons are predominantly oriented toward social payments and do not take into account the potential of the economically active segment of internally displaced persons.

The methodological basis of the study is a pilot questionnaire survey of internally displaced persons, the results of which were generalized using methods of grouping, comparative analysis, and calculation of relative indicators. Within the framework of the study, the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, their educational and professional potential, the level of readiness to participate in territorial and innovation projects, as well as motivational factors and barriers to economic integration in host communities were analyzed.

The research results indicate the presence of a significant group of economically active internally displaced persons with diverse professional competencies and a relatively high level of readiness to engage in joint economic activities.

It is established that the key factors facilitating the involvement of internally displaced persons in territorial projects include employment stability and the availability of housing or realistic prospects for obtaining it, while the main barriers remain housing problems, uncertainty of employment conditions, and uncertainty of economic prospects. The study concludes that the implementation of integrated territorial projects is an effective instrument for the integration of internally displaced persons into host communities, strengthening the innovative potential of territories, and creating prerequisites for sustainable socio-economic development at the local level.

It is substantiated that the research results may serve as an analytical basis for the development of local programs for the economic integration of internally displaced persons and for the formulation of regional strategies for innovative development.