PLATFORM COOPERATIVISM AND ITS APPLICATION IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

Abstract

Introduction. The advancement of digital technologies is profoundly impacting nearly every aspect of social life, offering new opportunities for sustainable development while simultaneously posing significant challenges to social cohesion. Problem Statement. The proliferation of platform-based business models is accompanied by the monopolization of platform markets and the emergence of platform capitalism. Market power becomes concentrated in the hands of the owners of the core of digital platforms (DPs), who increasingly leverage tools for manipulating consumer behavior as a means to achieve economic success. In this environment, the interests of the actual producers of goods and services-participants in the DP ecosystem-become secondary, exacerbating social imbalances within society. Purpose. This study aims to identify the prerequisites and potential for creating distributed production systems-value creation networks (VCNs)-based on cooperative relationships among participants. Materials and Methods. The research employs a combination of general scientific and specialized methods, drawing on publications by domestic and international researchers, as well as statistical data from national and international organizations. Results. As an alternative to platform capitalism, the study proposes a model of platform cooperativism that envisions DPs initiated and organized by producers themselves as VCN members. In this model, producers assume multiple roles, including management team, owners, contractors, employees, and consumers. The study also analyzes the impact of platformization on the changing social context of production during the third industrial revolution and uncovers the socio-cultural prerequisites for the development of platform capitalism and platform cooperativism models. The creation of cooperative DPs in Ukraine, particularly in the context of military conflict and post-war reconstruction, is highlighted as a matter of particular relevance. Conclusions. Cooperative DPs in the renewable energy sector have demonstrated the potential of a cooperative movement founded on digital platforms, combining the benefits of spatial or niche localization (specialization) with the globalization of activities.