Evaluation of innovative capacity of the enterprise in terms of the engineering area

The aim of the article. The aim of the article is to reveal the essence of the concept of innovative capacity, to single out its parts and indicators, as well as to construct such methods of evaluation of innovative capacity level, which would provide results which are adequate to its actual status and clear sequence of actions in the evaluation of innovative capacity of machine-building enterprises.The results of the analysis. The current complexity of the definition of innovative capacity, subject to the lack of unity in the views of scientists on the disclosure of its contents, significantly hinders the determination of its nature, functions, components, etc. As a result, there is no coherent approach to the interpretation of the concept of innovative capacity in economic theory and there are no sufficiently reasonable provisions, especially guidelines on the definition of the innovative capacity level of the enterprise.Therefore, the author reveals the essence of the concept of innovative capacity of the enterprise and analyses the approaches to the interpretation of innovative capacity, the most common of which is the resource approach and those based on: capacity (ability) of the enterprise to develop and introduce innovation; degree of readiness to introduce innovative activity; degree of opportunities in innovative activity of the enterprise and the system of actions, measures aimed at the development, investigation and introduction of innovations. The article presents the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. In addition, the author offers to consider innovative capacity of machine-building enterprise as the collection of five of its components: financial and economic, industrial, social, management and personnel, each of which has detailed description.The article scientifically justifies the novel methodology for innovative capacity level evaluation of machine-building enterprises on the basis of economic analysis comparing actual performance with standard, based on the common approach to the choice of indicators to evaluate the innovative capacity, clear and unambiguous algorithm to identify them and correct transformation of qualitative and quantitative indicators of the components of innovative capacity into merged indicators and calculation of integral indicator of this category.Similar to the abovementioned, the author offers the method of evaluation of innovative capacity adequacy to implement the chosen innovation program, the use of which allows the most effective pursuit of innovative activity, efficiently create and implement innovation development programs of the enterprise. According to the proposed methodology for determining the level of innovative capacity, the author develops the evaluation scale of the innovative capacity status at the machine-building enterprise on qualitative variables and provides the characteristics of each of its levels.The article also introduces the scheme developed by the author of clear and detailed algorithm of actions in the evaluation of innovative capacity level of the machine-building enterprise and the level of its adequacy for the development and implementation of certain innovation program. The author justifies the significance of the proposed methodology of innovative capacity evaluation in the development and implementation of innovation program of the enterprise. Its advantages and application features are presented.Conclusions and directions of further researches. The evaluation process of innovative capacity level of the machine-building enterprise is complex and time consuming. The proposed methodology of innovative capacity level evaluation does not fit into the process formally and is not based solely on expert estimates. This factor allows getting the most accurate results of the evaluation of innovative capacity and identifying of reasons and threats of inefficient pursuit of innovative activity. In addition, using the abovementioned methodology the level of adequacy of innovative capacity to implement the chosen innovation program at certain machine-building enterprise may be investigated, which is one of the main objectives in the development and implementation of innovation programs. Further research is to be focused on the formation of innovation program of the machine-building enterprise.