The methodological foundations of the concept of a new quality of economic growth of Ukrainian regions are considered in the article and a necessity of transition of the national economy to the strategy of accelerated development of innovative-investment basis is justified. By author is studied the disparities of regional economic growth based on the use of tools of «craters of backwardness» that arise under the pressure of economic expansion of developed areas and thus create the conditions for its own economic and political hegemony, which contributes to the emergence of additional opportunities for their development. The definition «craters of backwardness» reflects the mechanism of loss of individual regions of development opportunities due to the lag in time and the need to counteract the negative effects of globalization. «Craters of backwardness» is characterized by the presence of certain quantitative parameters of the backlog such as the depth of the crater and the speed of protraction in the funnel. The calculations are allowed to evaluate and summarize the respective time gap regions, the degree of regional differentiation in the level of development and to some extent the availability of reserves to ensure the process of economic growth of the territories. This used methodological tool has a perspective in the analysis of processes of economic growth at the country level and for international comparisons. The fact of increase in the number of regions that appeared in «craters of backwardness» testifies to strengthening of inter-regional differentiation in Ukraine. The analysis allows to conclude that for most areas grow and indicators time lag from medium-Ukrainian values of GDP per person up to four years, and in some regions up to five or six years. It is proved that economic growth in the regions associated with the development of commodity sectors and the territory, which is not rich in such resources, should be called «craters of backwardness». Therefore, the removal of the regions of «craters of backwardness», primarily due to qualitative changes in the structure of regional economies and, consequently, the search for development priorities that will ensure a new quality of economic growth. 

economic growth, the region, craters of backwardness, economic growth, regional differentiation, GRP