Target model of a mature marketplace as the core of a digital ecosystem

Aim. The work aimed to develop a target model of a mature marketplace capable of functioning as the core of a digital ecosystem.

Objectives. The work seeks to characterize the current state of marketplaces; identify areas for their transformation; highlight key elements of operational and infrastructural maturity; and propose a structural model reflecting the relationship between the brand, infrastructure, and management frameworks.

Methods. The study employed systemic and structural-functional analysis, a comparative analysis of theoretical sources on platform economics, and conceptual modeling which can be used to construct a three-tier marketplace architecture and characterize the mechanisms of value creation in the ecosystem.

Results. The paper presents the author’s acceptation of a marketplace as an evolving multi-sided platform that forms an ecosystem based on a three-tier architecture. It also defines the roles of brand and users in creating trust and network effects, and demonstrates the importance of financial, logistics, and IT infrastructures in ensuring the scalability and reliability of services. A closed-loop value creation mechanism is presented, combining internal departments, infrastructure, and users into a single manageable loop.

Conclusions. A mature marketplace forms a sustainable digital ecosystem where the audience growth and product range increase are based on reproducible operational processes and shared data. The proposed model can be used for strategic planning, maturity assessment, and management decision-making in the field of digital platforms.

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