The problem of the accumulation of waste from the metallurgical industry in Ukraine, in particular, blast furnace slag, has an economic and environmental component. Therefore, the main problems, first of all, include the absence of a criterion for the greening of the industrial sector among the priorities of Ukraine's economic policy. The article examines the situation in the slag industry of Ukraine, summarizes the existing experience of using metallurgical slags as technogenic raw materials. The problems of introducing a circular economy in the territory of intensive development of the metallurgical industry are considered primarily in the context of creating a flexible infrastructure for processing metallurgical waste, because the problem of waste is at the center of attention of the entire circular economy. But such an infrastructure cannot be created without overcoming the technological, economic, and institutional problems of utilizing blast-furnace slags in Ukraine, which hinder the creation of a slag processing industry on the principles of a circular economy. Based on the assessment of macroeconomic and environmental effects from the introduction of elements of a circular economy in the domestic metallurgical industry, the resource value of blast furnace slags as a technogenic raw material for the construction industry, in particular the cement industry, as well as road construction and other areas of use, has been proved. The ways of solving the economic and institutional problems of slag processing at the macro-, meso- and microeconomic levels are given, proposals are made to improve the legal framework for the development of the circular economy, the participation of the state, local authorities and business in the creation of a domestic industry for the processing of blast-furnace slag.

The significant features of the process of neo-industrialization are studied in conjunction with the profound changes in the post-industrial society, which determine the specifics of this stage of industrial development. however, are currently absent in Ukraine. Neo-industrialization, as a component of the knowledge economy, is not limited only to the processes of post-industrial technological transformations by changing the sectoral structure of the eco- nomy and industrial restructuring. The analysis of factors that led to the emergence of completely new processes of organizational change in the post-industrial society, in which large-scale mass production and mass distribution of goods are no longer progressive methods, as a result, eco- nomies of scale are no longer a market advantage in a neoindustrial economy. At a higher stage of development, differentiated goods and services are becoming increasingly demanded. And this diversity of offers is harmonized by the diversity of demand and is a constant engine of the innovation process in developed economies, and highly-differentiated structure of industrial production is a factor and the result of this diversity. The problems of small business development, which is becoming an important component of the neo-industrial structure, without its effective functioning in the conditions of market segmentation and demand fragmentation are considered, are examined. Statistical data and indices that measure the level of technolo- gical readiness of the country’s economy (global competitiveness index, economic complexity index, etc.) are analyzed in detail. Based on the analysis, systemic problems are identified and the conclusion is made that the existing structure of the Ukrainian economy in any aspect (industry, resource, foreign trade) does not meet the modern requirements of the country’s neo-industrial development.