The article analyzes the state of innovative capacity of the economy of Ukraine in comparison with other countries of the world according to the indicators of international ratings. The dynamics of the ratings of the international assessment of innovative indicators of Ukraine are presented according to four indicators of innovative capacity for 2015–2021. During 2021, the performance of innovative activity decreased according to two indices (according to the Bloomberg Innovation Index and according to the Global Innovation Index) and slightly improved – according to the Global Talent Competitiveness Index and according to the index of the European Innovation Scoreboard. Ukraine's strongest points in 2021 were its innovation-friendly environment and impact on employment, as well as broadband Internet penetration, employment in knowledge-intensive activities, non-R&D spending on innovation, and exports of knowledge-intensive information technology services. The weakest points are financial support and support, the attractiveness of the research system and intellectual assets, as well as government spending on research and development, the share of small and medium-sized enterprises with marketing or organizational innovations, international scientific and business publications. The economic essence of innovations, innovative activity of enterprises in the relationship and interdependence with innovative activity, innovative potential and innovative development of enterprises is revealed. Features of the innovative activity of enterprises in the telecommunications industry are presented. From the point of view of qualitative properties, innovative development is represented by a complex process of creating and implementing innovations with the aim of qualitative changes of the object of management and obtaining an economic, scientific-technical, social, ecological or any other type of effect that is associated with a necessary condition for survival and development of enterprises in the long term. The priority directions of the paradigm of innovative activity of telecommunications enterprises through the prism of strengthening their competitive positions on the local and global markets of telecommunications services are substantiated.