The scientific approaches of interpretations of "innovation", "іnnovation process" and "innovation system" were considered, the specification the essence of innovation and investment process was proposed, the structural elements in the innovation potential were highlighted. We have overviewed the researchers' positions and determined, that the term "innovation" is interpreted by the prevailing stance of two existent stances: innovation as a certain process, aimed at achieving results, and innovation as a result. The specification the essence of innovation and investment process was proposed, which results in the implementation of productive investments of cash, fixed and current assets in the creation, dissemination and development of innovation in agricultural production.

The innovative and investment process was considered from the side of productive investments, related with the creation of capital assets, with the development of industrial potential of the enterprise and with the ability to generate real results.

In the composition of innovation potential the following structural elements of agricultural production were highlighted: biological potential of plants and animals; technological capabilities; computerization; robotization; the investments in fixed and current assets of production; employment potential; administrative and organizational capacity; ecological potential; social and economic potential.

The specificity of the innovation process in agricultural production lies in the peculiarities of this industry, which depends on economic, natural and weather conditions and associats with a high risk of shortfall income. Agriculture has a low susceptibility to innovations, because of the absence of long-term partnerships between the suppliers of scientific produce and the makers of agricultural products, which forms the unfavorable conjunction and the retardation of industry in the implementation of the innovation process.

The historical stages of the formation of innovation theory were highlighted : classic – in the first half of the 20th century the theoretical framework for studying the category "innovations" was being created; neoclassical – the notion of "epochal innovations" and consideration of this notion in the context of economic increasing; evolutionary theory – the development of the theory of innovation towards specific application problems will happen in the future; modern – strengthening of applied aspect of the theory, creation the forecasting system of innovative development, formation of national innovation systems.

The most rational propositions of improvement the innovation activity of enterprise relatively the formation of the statistical information by directions, contents, financing sources and types of innovative products were grounded.

We have ivestigated, that the appropriate innovation infrastructure is not formed at regional level of the research areas. The low percentage of innovative products, which is mastered by enterprice, testifies that the innovative character is not inherent to introduced latest designs. We have also established, that the investigated companies have almost the same level of spending on training the cadres and organization the increasing of their skills: the share of such costs in the total amount is hesitating from 3.2% to 14.7%. We believe, that one of the approaches to improve the training of cadres' capacity can be establishing the effective cooperation with universities and research institutions through the formation of problem-oriented areas of scientific researches. Most of the links between research organizations and enterprise can be considered as formal.

The stimulating factor of realization the innovative activities in agricultural enterprises is an investor's motivation in getting a profit, achieving positive social and ecological effects, providing production of quality and safe products, job creation, development of rural infrastructure and sustainable agricultural development.

The reasons, hampering the development of innovation activity, are insufficient matching of supply and demand; inconsistency modern requirements labor organization; unsystematic state innovative policy; low activity of businesses investing the financial resources in the risky innovation programs; low level of knowledges in marketing; low level of the infrastructure development, providing the innovative activity; undeveloped system of regional information resources, lack of integration at the regional level and experience of regulation of information flows among the systems of companies' innovation activities management.

Key words: innovation and investment processes, implementation of innovative activity, stimulating and constraining factors of the innovation process.