Methodical approach to the selection of options for ensuring competitiveness of enterprises in the system of development of agricultural clusters

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to develop a methodical approach of choosing options for ensuring the competitiveness of enterprises in the development of agricultural clusters. To achieve this goal, factor and performance indicators have been identified, on the basis of which a decision will be made on the acceptability of the option of ensuring the competitiveness of the enterprise; the criteria for satisfying the values of factor and performance indicators are specified; the task of choosing the optimal variant of ensuring the competitiveness of the enterprise is formalized. Methodology / approach. During the study, the method of systematization and the method of induction were used for critical analysis of the problem of choosing options for ensuring the competitiveness of enterprises in the system of development of agricultural clusters. The tools of discrete mathematics and the provisions of the theory of investment portfolio formation are used to formalize the problem of choosing the optimal option for ensuring the competitiveness of the enterprise. To demonstrate an example of the application of the proposed methodological approach to the choice of options for ensuring the competitiveness of enterprises in the system of development of agricultural clusters, the method of expert assessments was used. The initial expert data were obtained on the basis of a survey of cluster leaders who are members of the Ukrainian National Technical Platform “Agrotechnical Platform”. Results. It is substantiated that the decision on the acceptability of the option of ensuring the competitiveness of the enterprise in the system of innovation cluster development must be made based on the expected profit of the enterprise and the amount of money and time required to obtain it. It is argued that the decision on the best option to ensure the competitiveness of enterprises should be made on the basis of criteria that can be set in a certain range or set as a maximum or minimum value. It is proved that the choice of the best option to ensure the competitiveness of the enterprise can be reduced to the task of finding the optimal distribution of investment resources aimed at ensuring the competitiveness of enterprises in the development of agricultural clusters. Originality / scientific novelty. The methodical approach to the choice of option of ensuring the competitiveness of the enterprise in the system of agricultural cluster development has been improved. It is based on the application of discrete mathematics tools and the provisions of the theory of investment portfolio formation, and also allows you to combining alternatives that can ensure the competitiveness of the enterprise at any stage of its development in the agricultural cluster system. The proposed methodical approach allows optimizing the distribution of investment resources of enterprises so that the decisions taken provide the expected level of their competitiveness. Practical value / implications. Today in Ukraine there are many agricultural clusters, within which hundreds of small and medium enterprises operate. Therefore, the focus group of users of the proposed method is quite significant. The practical value of this methodical approach lies in the possibility of its use by enterprises in making investment decisions, the formation of development strategies, the development of tactical models of behavior in periods of increased competition.