EVOLUTION OF CLUSTER MODELS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR: THEORETICAL BASIS AND THE ROLE OF PLATFORM ECOSYSTEMS IN ENSURING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF ENTERPRISES

Abstract

The paper is devoted to a comprehensive study of the evolution of cluster models in the agricultural sector under conditions of global instability, multifactor shocks, and increasing risks affecting the functioning of agricultural enterprises. It is substantiated that the development of clusterization serves as an effective tool for enhancing competitiveness, reducing both individual and systemic risks, and forming adaptive management mechanisms in agribusiness. The generalization of scientific approaches has made it possible to establish that the contemporary scientific discourse transforms the classical understanding of clusters as territorially localized formations toward network-based and platform-integrated ecosystems that ensure efficient coordination of resources, knowledge exchange, access to innovation, and institutional support. It is revealed that, despite the significant body of existing research, the role of cluster structures in ensuring the micro-level resilience of agricultural enterprises, as well as their systemic relationship with food security as a component of national economic security, remains insufficiently explored. It is proven that platform-based cluster models contribute to the reduction of transaction costs, diversification of distribution channels, expansion of access to financial resources, technologies, and digital services, and enhancement of enterprises’ adaptability to external challenges, including logistical, climatic, and institutional risks. It is determined that the evolution of the cluster concept during 2015–2025 is characterized by a transition from static territorial structures to digitally integrated platform ecosystems, within which coordination mechanisms, digitalization, network interaction, and collective resource utilization play a key role. It is established that such models generate a synergistic effect by combining economic, institutional, and social components of development, thereby ensuring increased resilience of agricultural enterprises, strengthening their innovation capacity, and stabilizing food systems at the national level.