Development of Metaspatial Business Collaborations as a New Form of Scaling Market Structures and Interactions

Abstract

Despite the active development of theories on platform ecosystems, network organizations, and inter-firm interaction, the phenomenon of multidimensional market structures operating simultaneously in physical, digital, and cognitive spaces remains insufficiently explored in contemporary economic science. Existing conceptual approaches – transaction cost theory, the dynamic capabilities framework, and platform leadership – each address isolated aspects of emerging forms of market coordination, yet fail to provide an integrated theoretical understanding of these phenomena as an independent evolutionary construct. This research addresses precisely that gap by introducing and conceptualizing the notion of metaspatial business collaboration as a new stage in the evolution of market structures. The aim of the study is to provide a theoretical substantiation of the conception of metaspatial business collaborations (MBCs), to develop a model of evolutionary stages in the transformation of market structures, and to propose a mechanism for scaling market interactions based on MBCs within the context of the digital economy. The methodological foundation of the study rests on a conceptual-analytical approach combining a systematic review of scientific literature, comparative analysis of inter-firm interaction forms, and systems modeling. The theoretical synthesis draws on both classical and contemporary economic theories, including transaction cost theory, dynamic capabilities, network organizations, and platform ecosystems. Empirical verification of selected propositions is grounded in the analysis of global market forecasts for the development of the metaverse and platform technologies. The concept of "metaspatial business collaboration" is introduced and substantiated as a multilevel system of interaction among market actors operating simultaneously in the physical, digital, and cognitive spaces of the market, characterized by polycentric governance, distributed value architecture, adaptive coordination, and platform orchestration. A five-stage evolutionary model of market structure transformation – from the atomistic to the metaspatial stage – is developed, demonstrating the systemic logic of increasing complexity in market interaction forms and the expansion of their spatial and temporal parameters. A three-dimensional mechanism for scaling market interactions based on MBCs is proposed, encompassing the horizontal dimension (reaching new market segments), the vertical dimension (deepening value creation chains), and the temporal dimension (accelerating innovation cycles). Five groups of MBC efficiency factors are systematized: architectural, managerial, cognitive, technological, and market-related. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the introduction of the concept of "metaspatial business collaboration" into academic discourse, the development of an original evolutionary model of market structures, and a three-dimensional scaling mechanism that synthesizes the propositions of leading economic theories at a qualitatively higher level of generalization. Unlike existing approaches, the proposed conception incorporates cognitive space as an equal and independent dimension of market interaction, and substantiates the mechanism of endogenous MBC growth through self-reinforcing network effects. The practical value of the research findings is determined by their applicability for enterprises in designing and evaluating metaspatial collaborations, as well as for public policy authorities in shaping digital transformation and economic reconstruction strategies. For Ukraine, MBCs represent a promising instrument for resource consolidation in priority sectors – agrotechnologies, IT services, renewable energy, and defense technologies – in the context of European integration and postwar recovery.