Activities of Digital Platforms on the Basis of Clusterization and

Innovative Development Strategies in the Conditions of European

Integration

NATALIIA KRAUS1, KATERYNA KRAUS2, ILONA BABUKH3, VIKTORIIA LISITSA4,

OLHA NOVIKOVA5

1Department of Finance

Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University,

Kyiv, 18/2 Bulvarno-Kudriavska St.,

UKRAINE

2Department of Management,

Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University,

Kyiv, 18/2 Bulvarno-Kudriavska St.,

UKRAINE

3Department of Marketing, Innovation and Regional Development,

Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University,

Chernivtsi, 2 Kocyubynskogo St.,

UKRAINE

4Department of Entrepreneurship, Trade and Exchange Activity,

Poltava University of Economics and Trade,

Poltava, 3 Koval St.,

UKRAINE

5Department of Personnel Management, Labor Economics and Economic Theory,

Poltava University of Economics and Trade,

Poltava, 3 Koval St.,

UKRAINE

Abstract: - The purpose of the scientific research is to present the features of the work of digital platforms

based on clustering as a foundation on which the gradual formation of smart production and industry is built

and to find ways to implement the innovative development strategy of Ukraine in the war and post-war times

through the prism of digitalization. The object of scientific research is the digitization of the work of platforms,

and the expansion of digital capabilities of their work due to the clustering and network interaction of business

entities of the Industry 4.0 ecosystem as one of the key reserves of innovative development in the conditions of

European integration. Authors’ opinion is: features of platform business models are presented, including: real-

time, immediacy, spatiality, financial, and economic components; the features affecting the clustering processes

of digital platforms are named, namely: mobility, Internet connectivity, artificial intelligence, gamification,

ubiquitous computerization, ecosystemicity, networking. The peculiarities of digital transformation in the

formation of enterprises of the Industry 4.0 ecosystem are revealed. The best global practices of digitization of

production and industry and tools for improving the policy of innovation and digital development of the

countries of the European Union are analyzed. Value/originality: having conducted a thorough analysis in parts

of the acceleration of clustering of digital platforms, the authors proposed to apply in practice solutions such as

the distribution of roles in accordance with real capabilities; gradual, integrative rapprochement; a single

information field, regular communications; focus on quick wins; full integration with national initiatives. To

speed up clustering based on digital platforms in Ukraine, it is proposed to include and profile already existing

and verified Industry 4.0 Strategy projects. Conclusions. Clusters and participants of the ecosystem, which have

export and internationalization experience, have been identified, which in the future could affect the quality of

the implementation of Ukraine’s innovative development strategy in the context of European integration.

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DOI: 10.37394/232015.2023.19.108

Nataliia Kraus, Kateryna Kraus,

Ilona Babukh, Viktoriia Lisitsa, Olha Novikova

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Key-Words: - digital platforms, clustering, clusters, innovative development strategy, European integration,

automation of business processes, regional projects, internationalization, reserves of economic

growth.

Received: March 29, 2023. Revised: August 27, 2023. Accepted: October 22, 2023. Published: November 30, 2023.

1 Introduction

The technological structure of Industry 4.0, which is

emerging today for a decade ahead, is oriented from

socio-economic perspective to Society 5.0 and the

knowledge economy, is based on the digitization of

the main factors of production, the strengthening of

the role of big data in the generation of value chains

and the formation of added value of products. It is

expected that the consequence of infrastructural

transformations of industry and institutional

conditions of digitalization of the economy will be

new forms of management of economic entities

such as clusters, formed ecosystems, and new

sharing business models of prosumerism, which

ultimately ensure an increase in the quality of life of

the population. In the conditions of the clear

simultaneous start of Industry 4.0 factories and their

rapid start, the fact that one should expect in the

future for innovative companies to gradually pass

through all phases of evolutionary cycles becomes

obvious. Digital transformation is changing the

process of doing business. Digital transformation

creates new business opportunities and efficiencies

that were previously bottlenecks in traditional ways

of performing routine business tasks.

The process of global digital transformation

leads to a transition to a new technological system,

changing traditional markets and the main source of

added value, which is formed due to more efficient

economic processes provided by the use of the

advantages of digital infrastructure and modern

technologies. The world is changing at a rapid pace

and these changes are primarily related to the

processes of generation, transmission, storage,

management, and analysis of information, which

turns the latter into the most important production

resource today. Countless flows of information

structure the modern world, changing the

consciousness of people and the forms of their life

activities. Digital technologies, which today have

become one of the most powerful driving forces of

the world economy, are changing the paradigm of

social development, reducing the dependence of

economic growth on the natural resources available

in the country, the number of working populations,

fixed capital and other extensive factors

characterized by the greatest entropy, i.e., chaotic

dispersion, [1].

The development of processes of digital

transformation of the economy is associated with

great expectations (economic growth, improvement

of service quality, increased competitiveness) and

challenges (reduction of jobs, increasing inequality,

increasing threats to information security). Many

countries have developed digital strategies and

action plans, [2], aimed at realizing development

opportunities using such digital technologies as

artificial intelligence, analysis and storage of big

data, and the Internet of Things, which are drivers of

the digitalization of the economy. In these

conditions, the task of developing high-quality work

of digital platforms based on clustering and synergy

of innovative development institutes in the course of

digital transformation at the national, regional, and

industry levels and creating the necessary tools,

mechanisms, and measures for this becomes urgent.

2 Problem Formulation

2.1 Literature Review

The problem of the formation of the digital

economy and the transformation of economic

systems was reflected in the research of scientists

such as In several scientific publications, modern

researchers defend the fact that economic growth,

according to the expectations of global business,

will be associated with the complete automation of

processes, increased labor productivity, the

introduction fundamentally new business models

and technologies of “Industry 4.0”, namely: creation

of conditions for the introduction of innovations, the

attraction of investments in digital technologies and

infrastructure based on cluster formations, which,

moreover, become a necessity for the further

innovative and digital development of countries.

These results are presented in scientific papers and

articles, [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11],

[12], [13], [14].

Among the Ukrainian researchers who are

engaged in revealing the content of the work of

digital platforms, eco-cluster management systems

in the conditions of globalization, industrialization

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in the times of digitalization of the economy can be

named, [1], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21],

[22], [23]. The analysis of the noted recent studies

proved that the concept of digital transformation

carries three main advantages relevant for any type

of business: increasing the efficiency of the existing

infrastructure based on clusters; emergence of

qualitatively new business models; increasing

revenue or reducing costs in existing business

models. In particular, scientists, [20] proposed and

highlighted three directions in which the use of new

digital technologies in cluster systems is the most

justified and effective, namely: customer search

(firms can use digital information and social

networks to attract their customers in new ways);

operational processes (digital technologies make it

possible to achieve great results in operational

activities at all stages of the value chain); business

models (digital transformation makes it possible to

develop completely new forms of creating and

obtaining value). Researchers note that the

synergistic potential of digital technologies can

collectively lead to transformational changes in

public administration and make the public sector

more efficient and valuable.

A group of scientists, at one time studied the

issues of digitization of economies through the

prism of the strategic decision-making process in

the VUCA environment, which involves: strategic

foresight (Why? – identification of drivers of

change), strategic thinking (How? – intellectual

rethinking) and strategic planning (What? – creation

of effective plans to achieve the set goal), [18], [19].

What allowed scientists to conclude that the fourth

industrial revolution, causing the rapid pace of

technological change, forces digital humanity to

adapt to life in the VUCA world, which reflects the

instability, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity

of general conditions and situations.

It is worth noting that since the beginning of

independence, all adopted development strategies of

Ukraine did not foresee the development of a vision

– as a common vision of the future of our country,

attractive to the majority of citizens. Instead, they

mainly contained a list of tasks, main directions and

stages of strategy implementation, a mechanism for

its implementation, and expected benchmarks. One

of these strategies, which was approved by the

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in 2013, is devoted

to the development of the information society. The

goal of the implementation of the latter is “the

formation of favorable conditions for the

development of the socio-economic, political and

cultural development of the state with a market

economy guided by European political and

economic values, improving the quality of life of

citizens, creating ample opportunities for meeting

the needs and free development of the individual,

increasing the competitiveness of Ukraine,

improvement of the public administration system

with the help of information and communication

technologies”, [24].

The sustainable development strategy, [25],

approved by the Decree of the President of Ukraine,

includes 62 reforms, of which 8 reforms and 2

programs are prioritized. The reforms aim to

achieve European standards of living and a worthy

place for Ukraine in the world, which formally can

be considered a strategic vision of the country’s

development. To realize the goal, it is planned to

direct efforts along such vectors as development

(ensuring the sustainable development of the state

and carrying out structural reforms), security

(ensuring guarantees of the security of the state,

business, and citizens, protection of investments and

private property), responsibility (ensuring

guarantees that every citizen will have access to

high-quality education, the health care system and

other services in the public and private sectors),

pride (ensuring mutual respect and tolerance in

society, pride in one’s state, its history, culture,

etc.), [26].

At the same time, the strategy, [25], is built on

traditional drivers of development and does not

include measures to actively promote the digital

transformation of the economy. Instead, the Cabinet

of Ministers of Ukraine approved the concept of

development of the digital economy and society of

Ukraine for 2018–2020 and approved the plan of

measures for its implementation. “This concept

provides for the implementation of measures to

implement appropriate incentives for the

digitalization of the economy, public and social

spheres, awareness of existing challenges and tools

for the development of digital infrastructures, the

acquisition of digital competencies by citizens, and

also defines critical areas and projects of

digitalization, stimulation of the internal market of

production, use, and consumption digital

technologies. The path to the digital economy is

through the internal market of production, use, and

consumption of information, communication, and

digital technologies”, [27]. The basis of this concept

is developed by the world leaders of the “digital”

market – Cisco, IBM, Intel, Oracle, Deloitte, SAP,

Ericsson, MasterCard, Vodafone, Kyivstar, Lifecell,

International Data Corporation, domestic

consultants and experts and the NGO “HiTech

Office”, - the document, [25], which defines the key

policies, areas, initiatives, and projects of

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“digitalization” of Ukraine for the next 3 years. The

result of the analytical work carried out by

Ukrainian experts with the support of the UN

Development Program in Ukraine and the Global

Environmental Fund as part of the project

“Integration of the provisions of the Rio

Conventions into the national policy of Ukraine”

was the Project of the Sustainable Development

Strategy of Ukraine until 2030 and the National

Action Plan until 2020 for the implementation

strategies.

The strategy of sustainable development of

Ukraine until 2030 is oriented towards the vectors

defined in the sustainable development strategy,

[25], but unlike the latter, it reflects a completely

logical construction of the strategic vision of the

future of Ukraine. The goal of the sustainable

development strategy is to “ensure a high level and

quality of life for the population of Ukraine, create

favorable conditions for the activities of current and

future generations, and stop the degradation of

natural ecosystems by implementing a new model of

economic growth based on the principles of

sustainable development. Achieving this goal

corresponds to the worldview values and cultural

traditions of the Ukrainian people and Ukraine’s

international obligations”, [28]. At the same time,

this document lacks a strategic vision for the

implementation of the specified goal, which is an

important element of the desired picture of the

future.

Another strategy for the development of Ukraine

for the next decade, which was called “Ukraine

2030E – a country with a developed digital

economy”, was developed by the Ukrainian Institute

for the Future. The formulated vision of this strategy

reflects Ukraine as a “European leader in the field of

innovation and new technologies. It identifies

digitalization as a key driver of the growth of the

Ukrainian economy and the well-being of citizens”.

The key expectations of digitization are:

“optimization of business processes; creation of new

products and services thanks to the Internet of

Things technology, virtual reality, cloud services,

artificial intelligence; cost reduction (savings on

people due to automation and robotics); completely

new business solutions (new models of insurance,

P2P systems, alternative services to banking

services, mobile applications for training, an

individual approach to the online buyer, personal

advertising, etc.)”. By the year 3030, “companies

will work at the intersection of industries and

segments, will become platforms and platforms that

will offer their customers not just a product, but a

solution to any problem, experience, value,

emotions, and impressions”, [29].

2.2 Purpose of the Article

The purpose of the publication is to present the

features of the work of digital platforms based on

clustering and networking as the foundation on

which the gradual formation of Industry 4.0 and

Industry 5.0 is built and the search for reserves of

economic growth in the conditions of digitalization

of industry and production, which has every chance

of becoming a decisive step in the implementation

of the strategy of innovative development of

Ukraine in the conditions of European integration.

2.3 Tasks of the Article

The purpose of the publication is to present the

characteristic features of the work of digital

platforms based on clustering, innovativeness, and

networking as a basis for improving the interaction

between all participants and economic agents of

innovation-digital ecosystems and developing

mechanisms and tools for socio-economic recovery

of some countries; acceleration in terms of the

formation of digital platforms in the conditions of

some inter-country rapprochement in industry and

production, which will allow the implementation of

the strategy of innovative development of Ukraine

in the conditions of European integration.

Among the tasks set in the article are:

argumentatively reveal the characteristic features of

digital platforms involved in the clustering of

ecosystems on the basis of innovation; determine

and reveal the determinants and key signs of

digitalization of the economy, which significantly

affect the conditions and ways of doing business by

economic agents and clustering processes; present

the main features of platform business models,

indicate the available types of digital platforms; to

reveal the world’s best practices in the operation of

digital platforms and tools for improving the policy

of innovative and digital development of the

European community; to present clusters and

participants of the industry and production

ecosystem that have experience in export and

internationalization; to analyze the experience of

progressive regional projects in the world and the

prospects of implementation in economic practice in

Ukraine; to indicate the main challenges and their

solutions in the development of a strategy of

innovative and digital development based on

clustering.

2.4 Discussion of the Problem

From the standpoint of the institutional-network

approach, [30], a cluster is a new form of

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organization – a heterarchy that does not have

pronounced hierarchical features, is only partially

market-based and is characterized by organizational

heterogeneity. Such a structure is a network that

functions based on institutional mechanisms of

coordination and cooperation. Its formation

presupposes stable ties between participants due to

various reasons, including geographical proximity

and the presence of institutions, interaction with

which is partially regulated by the market, [31].

A group of scientists, [32], have proven in their

research that the cluster is a new scheme, model,

strategic tool that allows companies, governments,

and the community in general to be able to compete

on a global scale. The researchers' theoretical and

conceptual review of the cluster concept allowed

them to claim that the globalization of the economy

is consolidating over time, and local regions are

adopting it to form new strategies for competitive

development. The formation of clusters represents a

local development trend that seeks to penetrate

globalized markets, but with the conviction that this

cannot be achieved “alone” so that the “collectivity”

of industry business efforts becomes an alternative

for the formation of a cluster and thus has every

chance to be able to effectively meet the needs of

globalization, [32].

The Swedish scientist R. Boschma pays special

attention to the understanding of “territorial

(geographic) proximity” when studying innovation

clusters in his research. The researcher proved that

there are problems of “excessive” proximity, which

are expressed in the form of various blockages and

can hinder innovation. R. Boshma considers

geographical proximity as a complementary factor

in the formation of institutional, social,

organizational, and cognitive proximity. Analyzing

the role of institutional factors, the scientist

considers “territorial proximity” as a set of

organizational and institutional forms of

“proximity”, [33].

Foreign scientists, [34], devoted their research to

the study of issues of convergence of new

technologies and obligations of manufacturing

enterprises, which formed a tendency to change the

global production landscape based on clustering and

innovative development.

The authors, [35], were able to research

collaboration strategy and digital innovation and

argue that high-quality collaboration can increase

the impact of the development and use of company

resources on business performance so that

companies no longer have to independently develop

and own with all its resources. Scientists, [35],

managed to develop their cooperation strategy and

digital innovations, to argue that companies can

focus on the development of key resources and

additional digital innovations necessary to increase

the company’s competitive advantage.

2.5 Methodology

The methodological and methodical basis of this

scientific work is based on dialectical, system, and

matrix methods, clustering digital platforms, and the

possibilities of automating business processes of

enterprises, which determines the new search for

reserves of economic growth and the strategic

format of innovative business work based on

network interaction, were investigated; a

comparative analysis was used in terms of grouping

features and types of platform business models;

harmonization and coordination of developed ways,

tools and effective recommendations for

strengthening the innovative and digital

development of Ukraine in the conditions of

European integration.

The methodological support of the research will

be based on a systematic approach that will allow us

to justify the operation of digital platforms based on

clustering. Based on analysis, synthesis, and system

methods, a general description of digital platforms

involved in ecosystem clustering will be provided.

The matrix method is expected to be used to

study clustering digital platforms, the possibilities of

automating business processes of enterprises, which

determines the new search for reserves of economic

growth, and the strategic format of innovative

business work based on network interaction. It is

worth noting that cluster analysis is a

multidimensional statistical procedure that collects

data containing information about a sample of

objects and then arranges the objects into relatively

homogeneous groups – clusters. In a general sense,

cluster analysis performs the study of useful

conceptual schemes for grouping objects.

Typical cluster models are connectivity models

(for example, hierarchical clustering or taxonomy is

built based on the distance between nodes), and

group models (some algorithms do not provide an

advanced model for their results, but simply

describe the grouping of objects). Clustering is

usually thought of as the set of clusters that contain

all objects in a dataset. Additionally, the relationship

between clusters can be considered. For example,

the nesting hierarchy of clusters. From the point of

view of methodology, it is possible to apply hard

clustering (each object either belongs to a cluster)

and soft clustering (also fuzzy clustering, each

object belongs to each cluster to a certain extent) in

practice, [36], [37].

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The use of synergistic and evolutionary methods

is expected when tools and mechanisms are

disclosed, which will allow for speeding up

clustering processes in Ukraine in the conditions of

European integration. Methodological approaches to

assessing the domestic competitiveness of digital

platforms on the European market will be developed

in terms of the practical application of a solution of

the type of role distribution in accordance with real

capabilities; gradual, integrative rapprochement; a

single information field, regular communications;

focus on quick wins; full integration with national

initiatives.

3 Problem Solution

3.1 Digital Platforms for Ecosystem

Clustering

The positive effect of clustering in the national

economy can be achieved only when the power of

the interconnected “four” sectors is used: public,

private, social, and scientific. The leading role in the

creation of innovation and digital clusters belongs to

the state. Moreover, such a role should be ensured

on the principles of corrective and purposeful

liberal-soft administrative influence on networks,

[15]. Platform business models ensure the creation

of value for consumers through the wide use of

digital and other breakthrough technologies of

“Industry 4.0”, which enable the interaction of

subjects of economic activity in real-time, equal

access of producers and customers to information,

and its reliable and availability, [17]. The general

characteristics of the digital platforms involved in

the ecosystem clustering are presented in Table 1.

Examples of high-quality work of digital

platforms based on clustering are Airbnb,

Couchsurfing, BlaBlaCar, Uber, eBay, Amazon,

OLX, Rozetka, Prom, Fiverr, Upwork, and Bike

sharing. Analyzing the work of digital platforms, it

is worth mentioning their publicity, openness, and

transparency as special characteristics. The

intellectual core of digital platforms is formed from

research laboratories, innovation and digital hubs,

and industry institutes. Financial and investment

support of digital platforms is represented by

crowdfunding, crowd investing, venture funds,

green funds, grants, and state financial and credit

resources. Information and analytical support of

digital platforms is represented by consulting,

marketing, licensing and sales, and engineering

companies.

Table 1. General characteristics of digital platforms involved in ecosystem clustering

View of the

platform

General characteristics and features of the content of the platforms

Examples of platforms

Market capitalization,

billion dollars

Innovative

Serves as the basis on which various business entities develop

additional technologies, products, or services. In innovative

platforms, one group of users can often subsidize engagement and

services for another group of users. The innovation platform creates

conditions for innovation developers that allow it to bring

innovations to the market quickly and on a large scale. The basis is

breakthrough digital technologies, these platforms have a significant

number of innovators located in different countries and form the

“innovation ecosystem of the platform”.

Microsoft, SAP, Intel,

and Salesforce.

911

Investment

It is supported, as a rule, by large holdings that combine several

brands, and provide the necessary infrastructure for various IT

projects and an interface for users. Includes companies that develop

a platform portfolio strategy, and act as a holding company and/or

platform investor.

Softbank, Naspers,

Rocket Internet,

Priceline.

There are no data

Integrated

It combines the functionality of a transactional and innovative

platform. This category includes companies such as Google, which

provides users with a variety of platform solutions from web search

to e-learning environments.

Google Play, Apple

Store, Facebook,

Alibaba and XiaoMi,

Twitter, Amazon,

Weibo.

2000

Transactional

The transaction platform provides conditions for interaction

between users of the platform, without which this interaction would

be excluded or unprofitable for both parties. They create “digital”

conditions of interaction between sellers and buyers.

Netflix, eBay, Uber,

eBay, Amazon

marketplace,

Mamondo.com,

AirBnB.com,

Booking.com.

1100

Source: compiled by the authors based on sources, [17], [38], [39], [40].

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The industrial core of digital platforms is

represented by corporations in the field of

innovation, small and medium-sized enterprises of

all sectors of the economy without exception,

venture enterprises, industrial parks, and innovation-

industrial clusters, [25].

In addition, it is worth noting that the number of

Internet users worldwide has increased to 4.95

billion at the beginning of 2022, and the Internet

penetration rate is now 62.5 percent of the total

population of the world. The data shows that the

number of internet users has increased by 192

million (+4.0 percent) over the past year, but current

restrictions on research and reporting due to

COVID-19 mean that the actual growth trends may

be much higher than these figures, [38]. The world

population exceeded 8 billion on November 15,

2022, and will reach 8.01 billion in early 2023.

Now, a little more than 57% of the world’s

population lives in cities. Today, there are 5.16

billion Internet users in the world, which means 64.4

percent of the entire population of the planet is now

online. The data shows that the total number of

Internet users has increased by 1.9 percent in the last

12 months, [39]. In January 2022, there were 31.10

million Internet users in Ukraine. The level of

Internet penetration in Ukraine at the beginning of

2022 was 71.8 percent of the total population, [41].

The main determinants and key features of

digitalization of the economy, which significantly

affect the conditions and methods of doing business

and clustering processes, are as follows:

– Mobility and connection to the Internet;

– The development of digital technologies and

artificial intelligence;

– Significant acceleration of economic processes;

– Datification (transfer of any information into a

data format);

– Ubiquitous computerization – a process that

involves: the introduction of computers into all

spheres of human life;

– Development of new technologies of material

production; using information as a direct productive

force; increasing the level of education and

awareness of society;

– Formation of a humanitarian orientation in the

use of computer technologies; creation of computer

networks that ensure, in particular, the effectiveness

of management decisions;

– Ecosystem – contributes to the formation of an

innovative business environment;

– Networkability (ensures the spread of

technologies), [42].

3.2 Values and Characteristics of Digital

Platforms

An important marker of a digital platform is to

connect users and facilitate the exchange of

products or social currency between them,

contributing to the creation of value for all

participants. An important marker of the platform is

the network model of value creation, an example of

the use of which is Airbnb. The latter, unlike the

Hilton network, which is based on a linear model,

does not use its own housing stock (network model)

to create value. In addition, each additional user of

the platform creates utility for other participants,

which ultimately turns into a resource for self-

development, that is, the so-called network effect is

manifested. The transformation from a linear to a

network model of value creation involves a

transition:

– From the use of own resources to the

coordination of others;

– From the emphasis on the quality of internal

business processes to the improvement of external

communications between platform users;

– From maximizing value exclusively for

consumers to the overall value of the entire digital

ecosystem.

The characteristics of digital platforms are

network structure, network effect, resource creation

(1+1=3), internal currency, tokenization (one of the

directions in the future), “win-win-win-win” –

producer – seller – buyer – platform owner, Digital

twin – functioning in two economic formats at once

(virtual and analog), scaling platform – the Internet,

data capitalization, data – a resource.

The main features of platform business models

and types of platforms are presented in Figure 1 and

Figure 2.

Usually, commercial platforms create more value

than they can monetize and generate profits from

their implementation. Platforms also face a problem

when platform users are unwilling to pay to use the

platform despite receiving value from its activities

and expect to receive only “free” benefits from the

platform.

In Ukraine today, there are opportunities for the

development of digital platforms in the following

areas:

– Electronic business interaction (e-contracting,

e-invoicing, e-doc flow);

– Platforms of electronic services for business

(LegalTech, FinTech, InsurTech), in particular with

the use of blockchain technologies;

– E-supply chain and smart logistics platforms;

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– Platforms for providing educational, medical,

transport life activities, public safety, and

environmental monitoring;

– Industrial and production digital platforms

(industry and cross-industry business process

management systems), [29].

Fig. 1: Main features of platform business models

Source: composed by the authors.

Fig. 2: Types of digital platforms

Source: grouped by the authors based on sources, [17],

[38], [39], [43].

Platforms are creating new user-producer

relationships through e-commerce, as they bring

together a wider range of buyers and sellers and

enable a greater variety of goods and services to be

offered.

Companies seeking to gain indisputable

advantages were the first to begin the mass use of

information and communication technologies, and

have advanced far in the digitization of business

processes. According to S. Pasieka, the new (digital)

economy is another technological system that

restarts the competition on a new basis, and in this

competition “the last can become the first”, [44].

According to the Boston Consulting Group analysis,

the B2C sectors are leading in the use of digital

technologies: media; Retail; telecommunications;

insurance; and banking services, [45]. The Interreg

Europe program aims to improve EU regional

policies and programs. It covers 4 strategies:

innovative development, support of SMEs, green

economy, and energy efficiency. In 2014–2020, 359

million euros were allocated for these programs

within the framework of the European Regional

Development Fund. An important direction of these

programs is the digitization of industry.

3.3 Digital Platforms and Their Impact on

the Economy. Global Practice of using

Digital Platforms

It is useful to study the experience of SMARTY

practice, namely smart SMEs, in the transition to

Industry 4.0. The SMARTY project considers

excessive fragmentation of Industry 4.0

(approaches, technologies, sectors, industries) as the

main problem and aims to establish a unified

knowledge base on best practices in regional

development approaches (Table 2). The output of

the project is 60+ measures to study the policies of

different regions, 26 identified best practices, 4

guidelines with policy recommendations, 8 studies

and action plans for the transfer of best practices to

the regions, as well as tools for improving policies,

[46].

Export and internationalization are a top priority for

all engineering, automation, and mechanical

engineering sectors. This is due to the fact that the

domestic market is too small, and the dynamics of

its development are simply depressing – the

processes of deindustrialization continue in Ukraine.

Therefore, many engineering firms and

manufacturers are not needed in Ukraine in the

number in which they exist today. In this case, the

only way out is export and integration into global

chains. The IT industry has already followed this

path – about 90% of services produced in Ukraine

find their foreign customers. Engineering companies

could also move more actively in this scenario.

Hannover Messe 2020 was supposed to be a

breakthrough project in terms of financing these

activities but was canceled due to COVID-19.

Therefore, IAM sectors need stronger support – it is

difficult for small and medium-sized businesses

from these sectors to solve problems alone. The

requirements and criteria of the internationalization

process are different from export because we are

talking about integration into global chains and

innovation ecosystems, where the focus in the value

proposition is not so much on the finished product

Signs of platform business

models

Real-time (interaction

of participants in

market relations in real

time)

Immediacy

(interaction of

participants in market

relations without

intermediary agents)

Financial and

economic (interaction

of platform participants

at low transaction

costs)

Spatial (absence of

barriers to entering

the system (on the

platform)

Cloud digital

platforms (as an

example,

Amazon, Web

Services)

Industrial

digital

platforms

(General

Electric,

Siemens)

Advertising

digital

platforms

(Facebook,

Google)

Product digital

platforms (Rolls

Royce, Zipcar)

“Support”

digital

platforms

(Airbnb or

Uber)

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as on one’s expertise and understanding of how it

can complement another.

Table 2. SMARTY global best practices and tools for improving innovation and digital development policy of

European Union countries

Project

The purpose of the project

InnoHEI – improvement of

research infrastructure: from

fragmented to integrated and

sustainable cooperation with

business (7 EU countries)

Goal: to improve the culture of entrepreneurship and creativity in the EU regions for the

development of innovation by improving the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP). The

project involves overcoming numerous barriers in these unification processes.

PASSPARTOOL – key tools for

assessing and improving the soft

style of innovative development (7

EU countries)

The PASSPARTOOL project aims to develop new tools and indicators of innovative development

in the field of the general innovative culture of enterprises. The idea is that it is better to stimulate

informal. Project activities include: exchanges between countries, thematic workshops and

trainings, identification of policy and practice tools that improve the development and

implementation of action plans, and a lot of promotional materials.

INNO Industry (10 EU countries)

Goal: increase the share of clusters involved in Industry 4.0 projects by improving relevant

regional and national policies. The project involves conducting research in 10 EU countries,

identifying 30 best practices of clustering and Industry 4.0.

DIGITAL REGIONS – creation of

regional policies adapted to

Industry 4.0 in their digital

transformation (8 EU countries)

Main strategy: improvement of innovation policies. Project partners will propose measures to

improve regional policies, aimed at better involvement of SMEs and growth of their knowledge

and skills in 4.0.

Source: grouped by the authors based on the source, [46].

Especially, these processes of shifting the focus

in the chain of added value are important for

innovative and high-tech sectors, and they require

another level of cooperation, including internal

ones. Today, as part of solving this problem, several

challenges appear:

– Ukrainian high-tech industries have made little

progress in digital marketing;

– Criticality of the resource for export and

internationalization;

– Adjust the needs of clusters in export and

internationalization, taking into account their

differences, etc.

3.4 Ukraineʼs Experience in Economic

Clustering

In this national context, the activation of these

processes and development attempts at the regional,

cluster level is an additional and important tool for

the joint improvement of Ukraine’s position in the

spheres of export and internationalization, [47].

Clusters and participants of the ecosystem with

export and internationalization experience are

presented in Table 3.

Therefore, the determinants of the success of

modern clusters are:

– Value proposition. This is the main factor from

which any collective export begins;

– Initial investment factor. For young clusters,

the initial investment is a start for activity. Without

initial and powerful external investments, export

clusters cannot take off in Ukrainian conditions;

– Strategy of entering foreign markets;

– Marketing tactics adapted to Covid-19, martial

law and industry specifics;

– Strong internal collaboration, [47].

In 2021, for 1.5 months, the cluster team of the

Maritime Cluster of Ukraine (MCU) created its

development strategy, a portfolio of regional

maritime industry projects, conducted a study of

individual segments of the industry, and entered into

negotiations with the regional authorities regarding

the inclusion of relevant priorities in the strategy

until 2027. This result looks somewhat fantastic in

terms of its speed and against the background of

other regions. If you don’t know that, behind him is

almost 2 years of work to rally the local business

community around the challenges of shipbuilding

and the maritime industry more broadly. On the

other hand, returning to the model, it is the method

of integrating individual parts of this movement into

a single regional agenda that creates this dynamic,

as it involves all the main stakeholders, [48].

A similar situation can be observed in other

regions, which allows us to assert the adaptability

and scalability of the proposed model for all regions

that seek to develop industrial sectors.

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Table 3. Clusters and participants of the innovation ecosystem, who have experience in export and

internationalization

Clusters and

participants

Current experience and unresolved issues

Sea Cluster of

Ukraine (MCU)

Active networking should take place not only within the cluster but immediately with potential international

partners. MKU participates in several international online events, and thanks to the presence in the cluster of 2

companies of Dutch origin (MDEM and C-jobs), these relations already have strong support and experience. Online

tools offered on the market are diverse, for example, the SMM (Shipbuilding Machinery & Marine Technology)

forum exhibition in Hamburg. The maritime cluster is looking for co-financing opportunities for participation in

similar exhibitions. In addition to the “ticket” to access such a platform, it is necessary to invest in quality content –

presentation video content.

Company 482.

Solutions

The Southeast Asian region is the target market for the company, where Singapore is the center of the ASEAN zone,

which includes 10 leading countries in the region and is the 3rd largest economic zone in the world after the US and

the EU. Singapore is essentially a hub, a cluster, a marketplace open to all players in this area. The company

actively applies for grants.

Ukrainian

Association of

Furniture

Makers (UAM)

Exports in UAM are tied to the initial development of a strong value proposition for consumers. For this, UAM

builds a developed ecosystem of production cooperation, involving architects and designers, and at the same time

improves the level of the offer of each category – trainings, webinars, and workshops are held constantly. In 2021,

exports went to 114 countries in the world, 80% of them – to EU countries. At the same time, there are still reserves

for improvement. The most effective tools used in UAM are: participation in foreign exhibitions, scout missions and

trade missions, and organization of national exhibitions the attract buyers to Ukraine.

Source: grouped by the authors based on source, [47].

This model is “not a copy-paste” of European

smart specialization, and what we have observed so

far in Ukraine, namely the adaptation (localization)

of the main principles of this main European

mainstream in the development of innovations to

Ukrainian conditions. The main focus of this

adaptation was aimed at overcoming numerous

problems that our stakeholders encounter in practice

– fragmentation, lack of leadership, weak

communications, disintegration of policies and

programs, etc. The Ukrainian version of the EDP

reveals several features on how to accept and

overcome these challenges (Table 4).

Table 4. The main challenges and their solutions in

the development of the strategy of innovative and

digital development based on clustering

Challenges

Decision

Inefficiency of plans and

actions, lack of responsibility

Distribution of roles

according to real capabilities

Circle of mistrust,

fragmentation

Gradual, integrative

convergence

Weak and broken

communications

A single information field,

regular communications

Lack of integrity and

consistency

A single agenda (road map)

Unclear S3 goals and outcomes

4 categories of SMART

results

Inadequate time settings

Focus on quick wins

Disintegration of regional and

national policies and programs

Full integration with national

initiatives

Source: grouped by the authors based on sources, [18], [20],

[41], [48], [49].

Based on the existing global experience and the

focus of the government of Ukraine on a quality

strategy of innovative and digital development, it is

worth considering some important working points:

– “Do not make false assumptions” – the

message is addressed, firstly, to representatives of

the central government, as well as developers of

regional strategies 2027 and the action plan 2021–

2023;

– Several projects implemented in Ukraine have

already shown the power of clusters and their ability

to become drivers and leaders of innovative regional

development;

– Implemented projects made it possible to

rethink the development of the 4.0 movement and

consider them in the context of regional challenges.

The results of the benchmarking review with EU

countries show that all developments (projects) –

such as regional Centers 4.0, IAM clusters, industry

road maps of digital transformation, landscapes of

innovators, etc. – are completely identical to

European practices. All these should be elements

and tools for the development of innovative and

digital ecosystems of industrial hi-tech. In the

context of orientation towards the European Union,

so to speak, this movement “from below” looks

much closer to European standards than state

regional strategies, [48].

The consistency and systematic of steps to build

regional innovation ecosystems for industry is not to

follow European or any other methods without any

adaptation. The first step in this adaptation is to

define an effective configuration of forces and

actors at the local level, where the role of each

participant is specified and corresponds to common

challenges at the regional level.

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Doing business is becoming more difficult, both

due to weak or negative dynamics of market growth

and global competition. Local entrepreneurs

understand that they need to change because the

factors of competitiveness are shifting towards the

quality of products and the ability to compete in

exports. Regarding contact with scientists and

innovation, there is a need, but it is difficult for

businesses to move several issues on their own, such

as financing modern R&D laboratories, in particular

in the chemical industry. Regarding the regional

development strategy, there are no clear directions

today, and measures are scattered. We need new

productions, and modernization of existing ones, to

move towards the EU and export. In the regional

strategies, there is no analysis of the potential of

traditional industrial sectors, such as instrument

building, which is currently tending to revival.

Clusters are recognized in the regional strategy as an

important growth tool, and it is indicated that their

potential should be further analyzed, [50].

3.5 Foreign Regional Clustering Projects and

Lessons for Ukraine

All the years of its independence, Ukraine was

primarily concerned with the issue of survival and

was not interested in innovative and digital

development. The state, de facto, can be said to have

distanced itself somewhat from the tasks of

developing industrial hi-tech segments.

Table 5. The experience of progressive regional projects in the world and the possibility of its use in Ukraine

Project

Opportunities for Ukraine

Creation of regional hubs 4.0, focusing on the development of the innovative

ecosystem of the region in a specific field with the help of regional clusters. The KPI

of such projects is the number of startups and innovative solutions, specialized

laboratories, a common marketplace and a support database, and in the future, an

increase in the number of jobs.

The idea of regional, ecosystem hubs 4.0 is close

to the Ukrainian concept of Centers 4.0 from 2018.

One of their main roles is to become regional

centers of the 4.0 ecosystem.

Innovation vouchers in the field of Industry 4.0 are considered a tool for the

promotion of 4.0 in the environment of SMEs, which stimulates them to implement

technologies and change business models more quickly. A similar scheme with a

state fund of 12 million euros was implemented in Portugal in 2018. The size of one

voucher is 7,500 euros. The entire scheme covers 1,200 enterprises. The tool has

already attracted 600 enterprises, with the issuance of 3.5 million euros.

There are no similar tools in Ukraine. Instead,

successful experience is demonstrated by the

Green-cubator in the project with the EBRD,

which is aimed at green and energy-efficient

technologies.

Promotion of National programs of Industry 4.0 – with consideration of the features

of these programs and determination of their strengths. Among the areas of the

program are faster adaptation of 4.0 SMEs, development of the ecosystem, promotion

of the best technology providers, and attraction of investments in the local 4.0

ecosystem.

A similar program has been operating in Ukraine

since 2018, but it does not have any state support,

all projects are implemented by the business itself,

supported by international donors.

Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH) is a tool for supporting SMEs in the transition to 4.0.

SMEs make up 90% of the EU economy, but only 20% of them have a high level of

digitalization. There is a whole network of DIH centers in the EU, designed to be

centers of demonstration, consultation, and transfer of new 4.0 technologies to SMEs.

As part of the smart specialization and DIH development strategy, Italy has created a

special agency – CNA HUB 40 to support 10 local DIHs.

This tool is part of the improvement program of

the DIH development. The total European budget

for the development of these centers in the EU

reaches more than 100 million euros in the

Horizon 2020 program alone. National and

regional funds to support DIH should be added to

this. In Ukraine, Centers 4.0, which is a prototype

of DIH, functions on a volunteer basis.

Regional program for the development of Industry 4.0 in Lithuania. Panevezys was a

well-known industrial center where the Ekranas enterprise played a major role. The

main idea is to turn the city into a hub for industrial automation and robotics. The

developed business plan envisages the creation of the STEAM Center (€370,000) and

ROBOLABS – a specialized robotics laboratory (€470,000), and separately – a

regional development agency (annual budget – €270,000).

This experience and the example of the regional

program are relevant for Ukraine. After all, half of

the Ukrainian regions are industrial, but this

potential is rapidly being lost.

Center for Mechatronics and Engineering in Mechanical Engineering (M&M) in

Belgium. Several universities in West Flanders have combined 4 laboratories and a

technology hub into an open innovation platform. The goals were to improve the

position of West Flemish SMEs in the regional and international dimensions. The

main strategy is the growth of innovations and innovative solutions of Industry 4.0

through better integration of SMEs in this center, and acceleration of their innovation

cycles.

The idea of unifying laboratories, both at the level

of a single university and several universities of

the same city or region, was embedded in the

concept of Centers 4.0 back in 2018.

Implementation of the MFCA methodology in the food industry, in France. This

project aims to implement the MFCA (Material Flow Cost Accounting)

methodology, which allows you to assess the true value of losses, which include not

only logistical losses (for example, in transportation) but also internal ones (related to

the cost of raw materials, their processing, energy resources, labor, etc).

Modern technical standards and their

implementation significantly increase

competitiveness, and also pave the way for export

and internationalization.

Source: grouped by the authors based on the source, [46].

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As a result, the mentality and behavior of many

managers has changed. The focus of the Industry 4.0

movement is systemic changes in the construction

of innovative digital ecosystems. Movement 4.0

projects may be interesting for machine builders: the

creation of a network of Centers 4.0 based on

leading, regional ZVO; continuation of the series of

Hackathons and competitions, one of the goals of

which is related to personnel development; creation

of startup schools based on these centers (not IT –

namely for the needs of industrial hi-tech);

accelerated transition to modern technical standards;

attraction of grant funding, [51]. The experience of

progressive regional projects in the world and the

possibility of its use in Ukraine are presented in

Table 5.

At the same time, it is worth developing ways,

and tools and providing effective recommendations

to strengthen the innovative and digital development

of Ukraine in the conditions of European

integration, in particular:

– Include and profile already existing and

verified Industry 4.0 Strategy projects. Regional

Centers 4.0, IAM clusters, 4.0 accelerators, holding

Technology & Innovation Days, Industry 4.0

landscapes – all these are ready-made concepts,

formats, and methods, and even ready-made project

grant applications, [46];

– Scaling of tools developed in Ukraine. This is

because we already know well what works and how,

and what does not work and why. But this does not

mean that other initiatives, projects, or tools cannot

be introduced;

– Generate and filter ideas in successive

meetings. The generation of ideas and initiatives in

the field of Industry is at a low level everywhere in

Ukraine;

– Joint consolidation with the government (round

tables, online public discussions, joint lobbying of

Industry 4.0), [46];

– Innovative clusters remain the driver of 4.0 at

the regional level. Their support and development,

both from local authorities and businesses, is a

priority. These are the structures that each of all

stakeholders of industrial and high-tech

development will be able to rely on literally in 1–2

years.

It is worth noting that Ukraine is currently

developing quite a few strategies for its

development, but all of them are multidirectional

and not of a systemic nature, often not coordinated

with each other, and do not provide for the

decomposition of goals. As a result, many goals that

are not subordinate to each other make it much more

difficult to formulate a clear strategic vision of the

country’s development. Considering the above, we

believe that the breakthrough strategy should

include both traditional drivers of development and

innovative digital ones, in particular those that

involve the wide use of digital technologies, and the

creation of digital platforms based on clusters.

4 Conclusion

Based on the results of our research, we concluded

that intelligent network interaction, the work of

ecosystems, and cluster formations increase the

degree of synergy among all technological factors of

growth. So, if high-speed broadband networks

provide high download rates, broadband networks

combined with artificial intelligence enable fast

operation and secure networks with fewer failures.

IoT sensors in ecosystems allow reading large data

sets. New business models in clusters and

applications arising as a result of intelligent network

interaction are changing the ways of conducting

business, consuming products and services, and

becoming drivers of the expansion of the digital

economy.

In particular, it is worth noting that digital

platforms and clusters play a leading role in the

creation of innovative ecosystems in countries, and

the development of digital platforms based on

clustering and the strategy of innovative

development causes turbulence in the market

situation, increased competition in both foreign and

global markets. This puts participants and economic

agents working on digital platforms in conditions

where the digital transformation of business

processes and management models becomes a

matter of increasing competitiveness and

innovativeness. In addition, digital platforms

encourage industrial transformations on the ground,

offering solutions for system modernization, and

opportunities to experiment and scale innovation.

The analysis of European projects is useful for

all Ukrainian stakeholders of Industry 4.0, and

primarily for those involved in the “Integration 4.0”

project. In several projects, the method of

entrepreneurial discovery has been worked out. The

study of European practices gives new ideas and

guides and points to trends that can be traced in the

world. And all the more so in the context that today

these development ideas are not translated into

concrete projects. However, in Ukraine, there is a

lack of effective state support for the development

of Industry 4.0. This is the main challenge that

needs to be changed. At the same time, many

regional administrations also have their

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expectations. Firstly, regarding specific projects of

investment and innovative development. Therefore,

regional communities of educators, namely

scientists, developers, and industrialists, should be

more mobilized around specific 5–7 projects for the

development of Industry 4.0 at the regional level.

It is proposed to include digital rules, digital

values, digital traditions, and digital order within

which economic agents can function among the

characteristic features of digital platforms.

Companies, organizations, institutions, and

enterprises operating on digital platforms are more

powerful in terms of innovation, register more

patents, and create a large number of new jobs than

when they operate outside clusters and platforms.

Networked digital platforms feature full automation

of machines and production lines, along with task

optimization for machines and robots, soft and hard

digital infrastructure based on digital hubs, and mass

customization of products.

Digital platforms are a breakthrough innovation

that can fundamentally change the structure of the

national market. On the one hand, digital platforms

make it possible to avoid the chain of

intermediaries, offering the end consumer the

maximum list of possibilities. On the other hand, in

the event of a “digital monopoly”, the owners of

successful platforms receive effective levers of

market control (including due to the asymmetry of

information) and can impose their price policy. That

is, the “traditional” business tactically greatly

benefits from the appearance of digital boards, but

strategically it is exposed to the danger of losing

sales channels and becoming completely dependent

on platform owners.

Digital changes have at least two dimensions:

one is technological and institutional, and the other

is managerial, psychological, mental, moral, and

spiritual. Practical examples in this article prove that

one of the main vectors of digital transformation is

the creation of prerequisites for the formation of

new business models. The practical implementation

of new business models, namely platform ones,

changes all components of economic activity.

Currently, the areas of application of platform

business models are, firstly, industries (sub-

industries) with a high share of information in

relation to other factors of production. In such

industries (sub-industries), competition between

companies is rapidly being replaced by competition

between business platforms, and separate niches

remain for firms with traditional business models.

Effective business transformation in conditions of

sudden market changes and lack of time depends on

the speed of processes. Both top-down and bottom-

up quick decision-making can be very beneficial

during a crisis. But this requires constant monitoring

of the changing situation.

What is fundamentally new for business, in the

context of the digital revolution and innovative

development that is currently taking place, is its

impact on the B2B sector. It is in B2B that the

possibilities of digitalization and innovation are not

limited to the possession of limited resources of the

consumer, but allow endlessly approaching new

heights of efficiency and productivity in the course

of economic clustering.

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Ilona Babukh, Viktoriia Lisitsa, Olha Novikova

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Contribution of individual authors to the

creation of a scientific article (ghostwriting

policy)

- Nataliia Kraus, formulation of the purpose and

tasks of research, describe digital platforms for

ecosystem clustering, assessment of digital

platforms and their impact on the economy,

research on the global practice of using digital

platforms, outlining the values and characteristics

of digital platforms, selection of literature and its

analysis, literature review, preparation of a

discussion on the research topic.

- Kateryna Kraus, determination of the

methodological apparatus, study of Ukraine's

experience in economic clustering, review of

foreign regional clustering projects and the

identification of lessons from them for Ukraine,

visualization of the presented material, drawing up

a list of references, technical design.

- Ilona Babukh, collecting analytical data for

scientific research, generalization of research

results into conclusions.

- Viktoriia Lisitsa, writing the introduction to the

article, preparation of an abstract for a scientific

publication.

- Olha Novikova searches for practical examples of

clustering in Ukraine and abroad.

Sources of funding for research presented in a

scientific article or scientific article itself

Financing at the expense of authors (self-financing)

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

(Attribution 4.0 International, CC BY 4.0)

This article is published under the terms of the

Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

_US

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ENVIRONMENT and DEVELOPMENT

DOI: 10.37394/232015.2023.19.108

Nataliia Kraus, Kateryna Kraus,

Ilona Babukh, Viktoriia Lisitsa, Olha Novikova

E-ISSN: 2224-3496

1195

Volume 19, 2023