Evolution of theoretical approaches to determining the essence of innovation and innovative development

The article discusses theoretical approaches to defining the essence of innovation, the interest in which is a reflection of the current state of the socio-economic situation in the country, the need for innovative renewal of the economy, science and education. In the study, based on the systematization of interpretations of various authors of scientific and educational works, four groups of approaches are identified: innovation as a process, as a result, as a system or synonym for innovation. Based on the analysis of the transformation of the essential content of innovations, the evolutionary stages of the development of the conceptual apparatus of innovations were identified. Since the introduction of innovations determines the innovative development of an object or system, the essence of the concept of innovative development in the changing conditions of the external environment and the meaningful definition of innovations was also studied. In accordance with the area of scientific interests of the authors, which is vocational education, in conditions when the country’s human resources must have professional competencies that meet the requirements of an innovative economy and the needs of the individual and society, through the prism of the paradigm of continuous vocational education, declared within the framework of the national projects “Education” and “Demography”, formulated the author’s concept of innovation and innovative development in relation to the field of additional professional education.