Conceptual Approach to the Assessment of the Innovative Threshold of High-Tech Industries Digital Transformation

There arises the necessity in conceptual distinction between formal digitization and true digital transformation with the accelerated digitalization of industry and global technological competition. The article introduces and justifies the concept of «innovation threshold» as a critical level of systemic changes, the overcoming of which allows high-tech enterprises to move from incremental improvements to a qualitatively new paradigm of value creation. The authors show that in industries such as aerospace, microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and nuclear power, fragmented adoption of digital solutions not only fails to provide competitive advantages, but also leads to increased costs and technological vulnerability. A multi-level methodology for assessing the innovation threshold is proposed, covering technological integration, use of data and artificial intelligence, transformation of business models, organizational readiness and economic efficiency. An integral index is calculated based on the expert evaluation, allowing to diagnose the transformation stage - from «digital imitation» to sustainable leadership. The concept is considered as a tool for strategic management, government regulation and investment analysis in the context of the formation of the digital economy and increasing demands on technological sovereignty.