Managing Innovation Activity of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in the Context of Digital Transformation of the Economy

The article examines the theoretical and practical aspects of managing the innovation activity of small and medium-sized businesses in the context of the digital transformation of the economy. The relevance of the research is due to the increasing role of small and medium-sized enterprises in providing employment, diversifying the economy, developing the domestic market and creating an innovative environment. The materials of the Republic of Kazakhstan show that the SME sector is a significant element of the national economy: as of January 1, 2025, 2,262.4 thousand were registered in the country. There were 2,071.7 thousand SMEs, of which 2,071.7 thousand were active; the number of people employed in the sector reached 4,422.1 thousand people, and output in 2024 amounted to 81,920.0 billion tenge [1]. At the same time, the level of innovative activity of enterprises remains insufficiently high and, according to official statistics, amounted to about 11.9% in 2024 [3]. This indicates that there is a gap between the scale of the business sector and its ability to systematically implement technological, organizational and marketing innovations. The article substantiates the need to move from fragmented implementation of digital solutions to a comprehensive innovation management model that includes digital infrastructure, access to finance, competence development, platform integration and institutional support.