ECONOMIC MOBILITY AS A STRATEGY FOR ENSURING THE VIABILITY OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN UKRAINE UNDER WARTIME CONDITIONS

Abstract

This article examines economic mobility as a strategic instrument for ensuring the viability of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine under the conditions of full-scale war. It is substantiated that military aggression has significantly complicated the business environment due to increased security risks, destruction of infrastructure, disruption of supply chains, shrinking markets, labor shortages, and limited access to financial resources. Under such conditions, traditional development models of SMEs lose their effectiveness, which necessitates a transition to flexible and adaptive strategies of operation.

The study conceptualizes economic mobility as the ability of enterprises to rapidly transform their organizational, territorial, production, and market parameters in response to dynamic external challenges. The key directions for enhancing the economic mobility of SMEs are identified, including territorial and logistical flexibility, digital transformation of business processes, product and market adaptability, financial diversification through alternative funding sources, and organizational and managerial flexibility. It is argued that purposeful development of these components reduces SMEs’ dependence on specific locations, suppliers, and markets, while increasing their capacity for rapid adjustment.

The paper concludes that strengthening economic mobility enables small and medium-sized enterprises not only to maintain operations during wartime but also to build new competitive advantages in the context of post-war recovery. The practical value of the research lies in outlining applied guidelines for SMEs aimed at increasing adaptability, resilience, and sustainability in an environment characterized by high uncertainty and systemic risks. Furthermore, the findings may serve as an analytical basis for the design of public support instruments aimed at enhancing the adaptive capacity of SMEs at the regional and national levels. The proposed approach contributes to the broader discourse on economic resilience by emphasizing mobility-oriented strategies as a core element of sustainable entrepreneurial development in crisis conditions.