KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE ICT FIELD AND THE FEATURES OF THEIR ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR IN THE MODERN CONDITIONS

The article explores the theoretical and methodological foundations for analyzing the ICT sphere as a specific domain of economic activity in the digital age. The study emphasizes the exponential growth of ICT-related technologies and markets, the expansion of stakeholder groups involved, and the transformation of economic behavior under the influence of digitalization. It is argued that the traditional market-based logic no longer fully captures the complex network interactions taking place in the ICT sphere, where stakeholders act not only as consumers and producers but also as regulators, partners, and knowledge intermediaries. The article highlights significant terminological inconsistencies in academic and analytical literature, where concepts such as "sector," "industry," "market," and "ecosystem" are often used interchangeably, leading to analytical ambiguity. Based on a critical review of international classifications and recent research, the authors propose a clarified structure of the ICT market, distinguishing between IT markets, communication technologies, and hybrid technologies. Particular attention is paid to the behavioral aspects of key ICT stakeholders (households, firms, governments, educational institutions) and how their motivations and decision-making patterns are shaped by emerging technologies. The authors argue for the need to move beyond conventional economic models and integrate behavioral approaches into the analysis of ICT-related interactions. The research contributes to the development of a broader analytical framework for understanding the transformation of stakeholder behavior and the evolving architecture of ICT-driven economies. It demonstrates that ICT development is increasingly embedded in cross-sectoral value chains, where technological hybridity gives rise to new behavioral logics and institutional forms. By employing a behavioralevolutionary perspective, the authors substantiate the necessity of rethinking regulatory paradigms and data systems to better capture the multi-actor, dynamic, and platform-centric nature of the ICT domain.