The purpose of the article is to study the innovative dimension of structural transformations of the economy of large cities of Ukraine on the example of industrial enterprises. For this purpose, the author analyzes the dynamics of the quantity, structure and concentration of innovative active industrial enterprises in the big cities of Ukraine; the dynamics and structure of innovations (introduction of new technological processes and development of innovative types of products); indicators of the implementation of innovative products. In order to compare, the article provides statistical information on innovation activities in Ukrainian industry as a whole, as well as in Polish industry. The paper establishes that financial constraints remain to be the main factor inhibiting the innovation activity of domestic industrial enterprises due to acute shortage of own financial resources, which are the main source of financing of innovation activity. The main institutional and organizational problems of activation of innovation activity in industry are named, in particular: 1) low level of innovation and executive culture, insufficient enforcement of laws and violations of legislation; 2) absence of coordinated activity of state, regional authorities and local self government bodies aimed at the country's innovative development; 3) the lack of integrated application of mechanisms of state influence to achieve innovation priorities; 4) insufficient development of innovation infrastructure; 5) low level of innovation activity of small industrial enterprises; 6) there is almost no cooperation between the state, science and business in the priority sectors for the national economy. The problems associated with human resources provision of high-tech development are sharp for Ukraine. The solution of this problem is seen in improving the quality of technical education and ensuring its compliance with contemporary world trends and requirements; forecasting and monitoring of the state order for specialists in technological specialties, etc. The prospect of further research on the subject of the article is the search for ways to create favorable institutional and organizational conditions for increasing the innovation activity of industrial enterprises.