The relevance of the topic. The article is an original and new attempt to consider innovative development through the prism of the age structure of the elements of the national innovation system. Innovative development is studied from the perspective of the contradictions identified by the authors. At the same time, the identified paradoxes do not become a point of singularity, but serve as a basis for justifying management decisions with prospects for practical implementation. Along with the paradoxes of innovative development, the article raises the issue of the stereotypical behavior of the structural elements of the national innovation system, which is referred to as behavioral «mimicry». By criticizing «mimicry» as a stereotypical behavior observed in various age groups of participants in the national innovation system, the authors highlight the opportunities and threats of innovative development. These developments are used to justify the strategies of innovative development, which are formulated in the form of theses and explanations. The institutional environment for applying the authors' ideas is the cognitive-institutional transformation. The author's novelty lies in the identification and study of this phenomenon, as well as the introduction of the concept of «institutional order» into scientific discourse and the periodization of institutional orders characteristic of the 20th and early 19th centuries. Goal. Research on the paradoxes, stereotypes, and strategies of innovative development, taking into account the age characteristics of the holders of competencies related to the structural elements of the national innovation system, such as research and development organizations, universities, mass media, government and management bodies, drivers of innovative development, innovative infrastructure, and the entrepreneurial sector. Methodology. Methods of logical and comparative analysis, the method of analogies, methods of analysis and synthesis, empirical generalization, the monographic method, the interdisciplinary approach, and the ecosystem and structural approaches. Results and conclusions. Using logical research methods, the method of analogies, structural analysis, and dialectical and interdisciplinary approaches, and relying on theoretical concepts that form the paradigm of modern economics and management, the authors have attempted to scientifically substantiate the prospects for the effective realization of the potential of participants in the national innovation system, taking into account their status and the stereotypical behavior influenced by the dominant age group. Executive government bodies, corporate managers, and leaders of organizations in various sectors of the economy can and should use this information in the development of strategic plans, projects, programs, and recommendations. Scope of application. Economics, organization, and management of the national innovation system, ensuring innovative development, and realizing the innovative potential of the structural elements of the national innovation system in accordance with the current age characteristics of participants in innovative processes.
