Prerequisites for realizing the competitive advantages of water transport of Ukraine

The development of the domestic system of water transport and its infrastructure in the modern conditions of the development of the Ukrainian economy is characterized by the strengthening of integration processes into the world economic system, which is capable of increasing the investment attractiveness of the country through increasing transport flows, competitiveness, reducing the delivery time of goods, etc. and have a multiplier effect on other areas of economic activity. Therefore, the work is aimed at determining the prerequisites for the implementation of the competitive advantages of water transport in Ukraine. Based on the analysis of cargo transportation by mode of transport, a radical redistribution of the structure of cargo transportation towards rail has been established. Part of cargo transportation is carried out by water transport of Ukraine, taking into account transportation by sea and river transport. In contrast to the countries of the European Union, in Ukraine by inland waterways, cargo, in particular construction, various ores, grain types of cargo, various metals and others, are transported mainly by cabotage. In several countries of the European Union, in particular the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, there is a clear interdependence between the volume of freight traffic and industry, which forms a large freight base. The inland waterways of Europe are standardized, using standardized barges, the carrying capacity of which depends on the depth. The large-scale use of the potential of Europe's inland waterways takes into account high indicators of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, maintaining a safe climate and environment. The maritime transport system of Ukraine is represented by 13 seaports, but their level of congestion is below 50% of the value at a time when transcontinental sea routes are developing with a large number of integration points on their way. European countries with access to the sea, in particular the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, ensure the predominant cargo traffic. Therefore, for the participation of the seaports of Ukraine in the implementation of transportations by trans-European and transcontinental routes, the priority task is to increase competitiveness by solving the problems of not only entering the ports of large ships, but also regulating legal, technological, information and economic and environmental support, in particular through the introduction of the concept "Smart port", which is the main trend in the transformation and digitalization of the world's ports and involves the unification of all participants in the global supply chain into a single interconnected network based on a digital platform with artificial intelligence testing.