The results of experts’ survey of local authorities’ representatives regarding the issues of social and economic development of border oblasts under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement are outlined. The Agreement influence on the development of regions (cities) of border oblasts is evaluated. The spheres most influenced by the Agreement according to experts are examined. Respondents’ evaluation of the Agreement advantages is studied. The types of economic activities that are believed by experts to obtain the most advantages due to DCFTA introduction are defined. Structural changes in exports and imports of goods and services under the Agreement as well as exports geographic structure are evaluated according to experts’ opinions. The list of countries, cooperation with which is seen as most perspective for the development of respective regions (cities), is formed. Assessment of the instruments of social and economic development promotion is outlined. 

European integration processes, border oblasts, social and economic development, EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, experts’ assessment, Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area 

Inability of authorities to efficiently solve existing problems is the road-block of modern Ukrainian economy leading to their failure to create business environment for Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Under this conditions business starts to create favourable conditions for entrepreneurship development on its own way, especially with the view to help perspective young entrepreneurs.
The article aims to research micro-local socially oriented business activity in the border regions of Ukraine and to outline its major directions.
Authors’ understanding of «micro-local socially oriented business activity» is suggested as the way to define business activity at micro-local level, oriented at creation of favourable business environment and maintenance of its development.
Experience of Ivano-Frankivska oblast is examined, in particular public restaurant «Urban Space», innovation and entrepreneurship center iHUB, «Management workshops», project «Open Business Space», Business Development Group. The following socially oriented initiatives are examined in Lvivska oblast: ІТ Cluster, Business Development platform "Biznes Aktyv", Businessmen Club. Projects of Chernivetska oblast are represented by Bukovyna Innovative Technology Cluster named after Joseph Schumpeter "Cluster bit".
Each project has its peculiarities, however their tasks are similar – to create favourable business environment and to support both entrepreneurs-newcomers and those, who have been developing their business for some time already, on non-commercial basis. It is worth emphasizing two of them in Chernivetska and Lvivska oblasts. Both are directed at education of creative and eager to work youth and at creation of favourable conditions for their future in the IT sphere. Moreover, Bukovyna Innovative Technology Cluster named after Joseph Schumpeter "Cluster bit" provides also the free of charge premises and Internet connection for those eager to develop their own start-ups. Public restaurant «Urban Space» in Ivano-Frankivsk is notable for its creativity and it directs 80% of its profits to implementation of non-commercial projects of the city development initiated by creative residents. Both representatives of large business and small and medium ones participate in socially oriented projects. The following main directions of micro-local socially oriented business activity are formed: assistance to perspective ambitious entrepreneurs in initiation of their own business; support of new start-ups; development of the territory, where the business is located; consulting on practical ways to solve the business problems; creation of favourable business environment. 

micro-local socially oriented business activity, creative economy, territorial marketing, cooperation platform, business environment, border regions 

Globalization, hyper competition, digital technologies, and the state budgets reduction, economic uncertainty, environmental crisis, social disparity that exist in the modern society significantly influence the development of cities and regions. These problems require innovative solutions form territories in order to remain attractive to investors, creative people, businesses, visitors, students and residents. Authorities and other marketing entities are interested to find new models that can create attraction of a territory to target markets. New approaches and practices of place marketing change the role of a citizen and radically transform the management methods. Therefore, the territories are interested in the possession of the latest information on current trends, effective tools and techniques of marketing. At present, the range of problems of the territories attractiveness increase using marketing tools is considered by fragments and does not reflect the current information on the key trends of the place marketing and effective international practices. The above is the reason of insufficient use of these mechanisms in practice by Ukrainian regions, that cause the lack of effectiveness of strategic planning and limits the dynamic progress of the territories. Thus, there is a need to describe in details the new trends and effective international projects in order to implement them in Ukrainian conditions. The purpose of this article is to highlight key trends and the best practices of place marketing. The article reviews the most successful place marketing projects: Regional Attractiveness and Place Marketing Chair, Territorial benchmarketing, project Rally Saint Louis, branding program OnlyLyon. Practical experience of modern marketing tools use crowdsourcing and сrowdfunding was analysed. The key trends of the place marketing development in the interpretation of French scholars and practitioners were investigated. The attention was made on the development of the creative economy and the change of citizens’ role in creating of attractiveness of their residences. Summarizing the international experience, the emergence of entirely new approaches and mechanisms of place marketing should be noted that are fundamentally different from the traditional complex of marketing communications. The creativity, modern Internet technologies, innovation and original thinking, search of new financing sources, cooperation and joint implementation of projects, new methods of citizen involvement in the development, implementation and monitoring of projects - are the most important trends of the modern place marketing, knowledge of which will enable local authorities and other involved parties to implement effective development strategies of their places. 

place marketing, strategy of the place attraction, key trends, marketing project, crowdsourcing, сrowdfunding 

The paper investigates readiness of Lviv Region for healthcare cluster formation through survey of potential cluster target groups. Results of the survey of residents, specifically their vision of operational challenges and competitive advantages of healthcare, as well as development prospects, positive consequences of cooperation of health institutions, educational establishments, research and development institutions, and companies are analyzed. Results of the survey of potential organizations interested in establishing a cluster, i.e. representatives of public hospitals, outpatient clinics, pharmacies, private health facilities, and medical schools, in order to determine their readiness to cooperate within healthcare sector through establishment of a cluster or a network structure are provided. 

cluster, survey of residents, healthcare, cooperation, awareness, readiness of environment, competitive advantages 

The essence of transborder market and its place in the system of regional and international markets is outlined. The features of transborder region, which influence the functioning of transborder market, are exposed. The conceptual approaches to the research of the transborder market environment, which engulf the principles, the basic tasks of research, the algorithm of realization of analysis, information sources and methods, are proposed with the purpose of exposure and analysis of trends, factors and terms that influence the development of competitive environment in a transborder region. The main provisions provided by the research may be used for the development of methodological recommendations for the transborder market environment analysis. 

transborder region, transborder market, boundary region, regional market, transborder market environment, transborder cooperation