INTELLECTUAL BUSINESS IN THE RAILWAY SPHERE: FOREIGN CASE STUDIES OF IT STARTUPS

Анотація

In the study, foreign case studies of IT startups in the railway sector—as a component of intellectual business—were examined, and the ways in which their experience may be applied to the modernization of Ukrzaliznytsia under wartime conditions were identified. The analysis demonstrated that international practices—such as AI-based predictive maintenance, autonomous inspection systems, digital workflow platforms, and advanced communication technologies—can significantly strengthen the operational efficiency, resilience, and safety of Ukraine’s railway system. A SWOT analysis of creating IT startups in Ukrzaliznytsia was conducted, and key strengths (high demand for modernization, strong national IT talent pool, governmental and international support), weaknesses (institutional resistance, limited funding, regulatory complexity), opportunities (post-war reconstruction, EU integration, new digital business models), and threats (economic instability, cybersecurity risks, talent drain) were identified. Based on the conducted research, we proposed a Strategic Framework for forming an IT startup ecosystem in Ukrzaliznytsia, consisting of six interrelated directions: establishing a Railway Innovation Hub, strengthening public-private partnerships, implementing regulatory sandboxes, deepening university–industry collaboration, providing secure access to operational data, and introducing innovation-oriented procurement mechanisms. Together, these directions represent a structured approach to stimulating digital transformation, encouraging experimentation, and integrating advanced technological solutions into the railway system. Prospects for further research involve creating a detailed implementation roadmap for this startup ecosystem, developing evaluation metrics for innovation projects, and examining cybersecurity models tailored to critical railway infrastructure. Future studies should also consider mechanisms for long-term cooperation between Ukrzaliznytsia and international innovation networks to ensure sustainable technological development.