Authors:

G.B. Korovin

Institute of Economics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia

Abstract:

Digital transformation in industry has heightened the importance of studying the mechanisms through which the structure of inter-firm interactions is framed. The combination of direct and platform-mediated linkages makes it difficult to coordinate enterprises and manage industrial complex development. The article reveals the mechanisms underlying the emergence of inter-firm linkages and the dynamics of digital platform diffusion in industry. Agent-based modelling forms the methodological core of the research as it integrates bounded rationality, agent heterogeneity, and the endogenous nature of network. The study draws on the results of simulation experiments performed with an agent-based model of a digital industrial ecosystem under varying institutional and behavioural parameters. The model formalizes a minimal set of factors that shape the structure of inter-firm cooperation, namely limited search for partners, trust, reputation, and switching costs, as well as the role of platforms as mechanisms for reducing information and transaction costs. Scenario analysis based on simulation modelling demonstrates that platform diffusion exhibits nonlinear, threshold dynamics with an S-shaped pattern. Switching costs are found to determine network inertia and the pace of digitalization, while expanded search and lower entry barriers accelerate diffusion but increase volatility. Different parameter configurations generate distinct regimes, ranging from stable hybrid interactions to rapid but less stable platform adoption. Lower switching costs exert the strongest effect on the pace of platform adoption, while more stringent reputational screening enhances interaction quality without extra volatility. The contribution of the study lies in integrating micro-level behavioural mechanisms into the model of macro-level network dynamics. The results have practical implications for platform strategy and industrial digital policy.

Keywords: digital industrial ecosystem; agent-based modelling; digital platforms; bounded rationality; switching costs; trust; reputation; scenario analysis.

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For citation: Korovin G.B. (2026). Forming a transaction structure of digital industrial ecosystems: An agent-based approach. Upravlenets / The Manager, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 33–51. DOI: 10.29141/2218-5003-2026-17-5-3. EDN: WLXAJA.