Competitive advantages appear in enterprises only when production works and develops quite effectively, and the strategy is quite unique, that is, innovative.However, the specifics of the economic situation in the country, as well as the imperfection of existing institutions of power are prerequisites for the emergence of problems in the innovative strategic activities of enterprises.Changes taking place in the world, the orientation of the most successful enterprises to innovation also significantly affect the strategic development of enterprises in Ukraine.Half of the enterprises engaged in innovative activities are owned by the public sector or operate on the basis of so-called state orders.Private enterprises should be prepared for the fact that when producing innovative products or services , the risks are very high.Although it should be noted that the larger the enterprise, a wide range of products and a well-known brand, the weaker are the "blows" of this kind for it.However, in case of success, the company receives competitive advantages that are unique, that is, such enterprises determine the state of the market.As a result, we see a significant contradiction in the development of domestic enterprises: on the one hand, the reluctance of private enterprises to engage in innovation is justified, and on the other – the need to obtain competitive advantages, which is impossible without innovation.In the article the comparative analysis of innovative activity of the enterprises of countries CIS and Ukraine and identifies main problems of innovation activities of enterprises and the main directions for their solution.