Digital decoupling in the ecosystem model of sustainable development of IT enterprises: synergy of AI-oriented marketing and circular principles within ESG

Abstract

The article investigates the evolution of ecosystem models for the sustainable development of IT enterprises through the prism of the digital decoupling concept. An institutional analysis of the Ukrainian IT sector from 2021–2025 proves the shift in the structure of transaction costs and the transition from quantitative growth to qualitative transformation. During this period, the industry shifted from remote models to strategic hybridity amidst a wartime economy, demonstrating remarkable economic resilience and institutional adaptability despite infrastructure destruction.  However, expanding access to the global talent pool brings risks of reduced team synergy and exponential growth in coordination costs, highlighting the institutional failure of traditional control methods in virtual environments. To address this management crisis, an integral management effectiveness assessment system (IMEPM) is proposed, which shifts focus to delivered value by balancing business results, operational dynamics, and human capital metrics.  The key focus of the study is substantiating the synergy between AI-oriented marketing and circular economy principles (3R) as the foundation of digital decoupling. It is proven that the predictive analytics of AI marketing allows for optimizing the lifecycle of digital products and reducing energy consumption. AI prevents the mass distribution of "cold" traffic, radically lowering the carbon footprint. Furthermore, understanding predictive demand helps companies avoid over-purchasing hardware, extending its lifecycle through algorithmic redistribution.  Ultimately, digital decoupling ensures the economic growth of companies without a proportional increase in physical resource consumption in accordance with ESG criteria. The synthesis of AI marketing and circular models enhances corporate resilience, minimizing the ecological footprint while maintaining global competitiveness.