Modeling the Digital Transformation of the Region’s Industry

The paper studies the issues of modeling the digital transformation of the regional industrial sector. The polystructural nature of the research object requires the use of a methodological toolkit capable of adequately simulating comprehensive socio-economic systems. To simulate the digital transformation of a regional industrial sector, an agent-based approach is applied. When developing a model, the study proposes to take into account the elements of the irrational behavior of firms when making a strategic decision on digitalization, considering the formed opinion of managers and the general level of digitalization in the region. In the author’s opinion, these factors are of a psychological nature and can be assessed using a multidisciplinary approach. As a result of developing the model, the author proposed 4 classes of agents, their parameters, strategies used, possible states, estimated assets, and liabilities. In the model, an enterprise’s choice of a digitalization strategy and an operational decision on starting digital transformation are separated. The transition to a digitalization strategy is based on the actions of other industrial enterprises and the probability of a positive decision of the CEO identified as a result of the survey. The decision to start a digitalization program is determined by a strategic decision, the current financial capabilities of a particular enterprise, and the level of subsidies for the digitalization of the industry by regional authorities. The results of the study enrich the methodological toolkit for modeling the digitalization of the industrial sector, expand the ideas about the rational choice of an enterprise’s digitalization strategy, and make it possible to use the opinions of CEOs in an agent-based model.