## 2 Theoretical Framework and Methodology
This has considerably limited access to up-to-date and verifiable information on the country's socio-economic and infrastructure indicators beyond 2020. Therefore, the reporting period selected for this study covers the years 2016 to 2020, as this represents the most recent time frame for which complete and comparable statistical data are available. The national statistical services in Ukraine and Poland account for this indicator of land and pipeline transport, water, and aviation. Land transport consists of rail and road transportation. This indicator is the basis of the methodology for analyzing economic development's dependence on the transport industry's functioning, the stages of which and their methodological support are shown in Figure 2.  
The proposed methodology consists of three stages based on corresponding methodological support. As shown below, Ukraine and Poland have different cargo turnover structures owing to their different transport modes. Therefore, in the first stage, it is advisable to analyze this indicator using deterministic factor analysis methods. Further, as noted during the analysis of literary sources, the transport industry's mutual influence on the country's overall economic growth, and vice versa, is ignored. Figure 1: Comparison of GDP structure by types of economic activity in Poland and Ukraine in 2020. Constructed by the authors based on [30; 31]. This study proposes using the Leontief inter-industry model to model the indicated dependencies. Existing interindustry relationships allow for a scenario analysis of mutual influence. The information support for the second stage of the methodology is the statistical tables \"Input-output,\" which are part of the system of national accounts of any country. The quantitative assessment of this interdependence and the development of relevant recommendations at the third stage of the methodology are proposed to be performed using elasticity coefficients. The growing importance of a competitive transport and logistics system in the context of the digital transformation of the economy is due to increasingly complex logistics challenges and rapid technological progress [19; 20; 21; 22]. Average mobility per capita in the EU increased from 2000 to 2019 (+0.6% per year). In 2019-2021, it fell by 18% due to COVID-19 but recovered by 8.6% in 2022. The share of transport in the economy averaged 9% in 2010 and 9.5% in 2022. The highest expenditure on transport (percent of GDP) in 2020 was in the Czech Republic (2.2%), Ukraine (2.11%), Poland (2.05%), and the United Kingdom (1.81%). In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobility across the European Union experienced a significant decline--falling by approximately 18% between 2019 and 2021--as a result of lockdowns, travel limitations, and broader economic disruption. By 2022, mobility showed signs of recovery, increasing by 8.6% as transport activity gradually resumed. The transport sector continues to play a key role in sustaining economic performance, contributing roughly 9% of EU GDP in 2010 and rising slightly to 9.5% by 2022. However, national transport expenditures differ across member states, reflecting variation in infrastructure priorities, investment capacity, and strategic relevance within European and global supply chains. Recent studies indicate that increased funding in transport is strongly aligned with broader policy targets such as carbon neutrality, the digitalization of mobility, and improved accessibility in underserved areas. At the same time, policymakers must address ongoing challenges, including urban congestion, environmental pressure, and unequal access to transport services [32]. The critical need for logistics centers that meet EU standards should strengthen Ukraine's global competitiveness by improving the logistics infrastructure and providing a comprehensive strategic analysis of the country's transport infrastructure [23; 24; 25; 26]. It is important to highlight the sector's growth while addressing its shortcomings compared with European benchmarks.