TECHNOLOGICAL DIVERGENCE IN THE RUSSIAN AGRO-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX: ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL CLUSTERS AND INVESTMENT DYNAMICS

Issue № 1, 2026, article № 14, pages 144-149

Section:

Language: Russian

Original language title: ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ ДИВЕРГЕНЦИЯ В АПК РОССИИ: АНАЛИЗ СТРУКТУРНЫХ КЛАСТЕРОВ И ИНВЕСТИЦИОННОЙ ДИНАМИКИ

Keywords: TECHNOLOGICAL DIVERGENCE, AGRO-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, AGRITECH, STARTUPS, CLUSTER ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT ACTIVITY, EVOLUTIONARY ECONOMIC THEORY, INNOVATIONS

Abstract: The relevance of the study is determined by the need to comprehend the current trends of technological transformation of the Russian agro-industrial complex (AIC) within the framework of evolutionary economic theory. The aim of the work is to identify and analyze the structural patterns of technological divergence in the Russian AIC based on the clustering of agri-tech startups and the assessment of investment dynamics. The methodological basis includes systemic and evolutionary approaches, methods of statistical and comparative analysis, cluster analysis of a database of technology companies (n=422). The results of the study showed that the Russian AIC is in a phase of active technological divergence, characterized by pronounced cluster specialization. Four key technological clusters are identified: "Biotechnology and New Production Systems" (46.3% of startups), "Digital Platforms and Precision Farming Solutions" (31.9%), "New Business Models and Value Chains" (14.3%), and "Roboticization and Automation" (8.1%). The identified cluster asymmetry (diversification index 0.66) corresponds to the patterns of the initial phase of divergence. Analysis of investment activity in the AgriTech sector for 2017-2025 revealed a wave-like dynamics with a peak in 2020 (19.32 million US dollars) and high volatility of the average round size (coefficient of variation 87.4%), indicating the sector's high sensitivity to external shocks and the persistence of fundamental scaling barriers. The key conclusions are that the current phase of divergence is characterized by a multiplicity of competing technological trajectories, diversification of business models, but also the persistence of structural imbalances determined by differences in capital intensity and institutional barriers. The emerging diverse landscape of innovators creates extensive material for subsequent market and institutional selection.

Authors: Gorlov Aleksandr Vladimirovich, Latkin Alexander Pavlovich