The problem of economic development as a theoretical basis of the concept of economic breakthrough

The problems of providing economic growth are particularly acute for the countries of the world economy at present. This is notably due to rather aggressive and rapidly changing external environment and high flow rate of intra-country and inter-country innovation. However, the problem of economic growth and economic development is not new; it has been studied by the representatives of various economic schools for several centuries. The article considers the main milestones in the evolution of theoretical ideas on the phenomenon of economic growth and economic development as a necessary condition for the formation of the author’s approach to the problem of economic breakthrough (the breakthrough economic development). Breakthrough socio-economic development is characterized in the paper as the development based on innovations, involving the implementation of the major transformations in the fundamental characteristics of the separate industries and the national economy as a whole, transforming its structure and organizational and managerial sub-systems. The author substantiates that it is expedient to consider breakthrough development as an estimated characteristic of a country’s development (indicators of its socio-economic development) in a global context, that is, relative to other countries of the world economy. Such development is possible due to the mobilization and redistribution of all necessary resources to science-intensive industries, which will ensure the enhancement of competitiveness and technological independence of the country and its world leadership in the breakthrough areas.