Approaches to assessing the economic efficiency of innovative projects

In this paper the authors consider an issue of assessing the economic efficiency of innovative projects by the example of the recently developed atmospheric generator of fresh water. This investment project is characterized by a high degree of uncertainty and the presence of specific risks, what creates the basis for research. The authors propose an alternative approach to the preliminary assessment of the economic efficiency of the project, which consists in calculating the maximum value of capital investments. The research paper focuses on the methodology for estimating the discount rate of innovative projects. The authors also concentrate on the innovative projects’ risks accounting. To assess the risks, the authors analyze the project sensitivity, consider the possibility of analytical and graphical interpretation of the results. The article is in the framework of economic research methods. An analysis of the scientific literature and a comparative approach are combined with the application of economic-mathematical modeling. The theoretical significance of the study is in describing the main issues associated with the analysis of the profitability of innovative projects. The practical significance lies in the development of approaches to assessing the economic efficiency of high-risk projects, comprehensive risk assessment and identification of effective tools to improve financial stability.