Business relocation as a factor in the transformation of the spatial development of Ukrainian regions

Abstract

It is determined that the relocation of enterprises from areas of active hostilities to relatively safe regions has become an important mechanism for economic adaptation and has significantly influenced the spatial development of the regions of Ukraine and the transformation of the economic geography of the state. The purpose of the study is to determine the features of business relocation in Ukraine and assess its impact on the formation of a new configuration of regional spatial development. The study used methods of system analysis, comparative and statistical evaluation, while the information base included data from the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, OpenDataBot, the World Bank, and modern scientific publications. The study established that business relocation in Ukraine is predominantly security-oriented and significantly differs from classical models of economic relocation. It is substantiated that the largest concentration of relocated enterprises was formed in the western and some central regions of Ukraine, which became new centers of economic activity and spatial development. Relocation caused the redistribution of production, financial, and labor potential between regions, stimulated the development of transport and logistics infrastructure, and contributed to the formation of new production clusters, directly influencing the transformation of regional spatial development. It is proven that relocation processes have a contradictory impact on the spatial development of the regions of Ukraine. The positive effect was reflected in preserving entrepreneurial activity, maintaining employment, and forming new centers of economic growth and business concentration. At the same time, the concentration of business in safer regions intensified interregional disparities, deepened territorial asymmetry, and caused the economic weakening of frontline and deoccupied territories. Overall, business relocation became an important factor in the transformation of the spatial development of Ukrainian regions, affecting the redistribution of capital, labor resources, and economic activity across the country.