The process of forming the concept of "cluster" included a centuries-old history. Theoretical and methodological aspects of this definition were presented in the works of a big number of foreign scientists, such as M. Porter, M. Enright, R. Nelson, A. Lesh, W. Rostow, W. Isard, N. Rosenberg, A. Phillips, J. Tyunen, J. Van Dein, I. Fezer, S. Sweeney, M. Janikas, S. Ray, P. Stout, A. Weber et al. The formation of the modern understanding of clusters was influenced by the theories of

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... industrial complex and industrial areas. Analyzing the history of economic thought, we can say that the approach to cluster economic development was formed gradually, but ideas about the advantages of economic clusters as forms of business organization arose quite a long time ago. In the middle of the XVII century, the «theory of pure agglomeration» was wrote by J. Tyunen, V. Launhardt and A. Marshall. The formation of localization theory is usually associated with the name of the German economist J. Tyunen. The beginning of the "industrial cluster" theory was laid by A. Marshall, who saw the following pattern: enterprises will be able to achieve savings due to internal resources and a system of interaction with suppliers of raw materials and in the presence of highly specialized specialists. A. Lesh studied the agglomeration effect and the scale effect, as a result of which production has properties relative to geographical concentration. In addition, he said that each industry has its own maximum level of production concentration. The theory of the information society was associated with the concept of social networks, which was formed at the end of the twentieth century in the works of certain scientists: S. Berkowitz, S. Wasserman, B. Wellman, D. Nook, P. Marsden, K. Faust, L. Freeman and others. The formation of the modern understanding of clusters was influenced by the theories of agglomeration, industrial complex and industrial areas. In addition, technological and innovative approaches were identified, which were based on the analysis of the competitiveness of the regions. The network approach to economic development has had a significant impact on the modern understanding of clusters. The above-mentioned aspects are formed on the basis of the approaches of a number of foreign scientists, whose main research results are presented in this article. The authors present the evolution of the formation and development of the cluster approach in Economics in Western Economic Thought, give the author's definition of the concept of "cluster" and describe the common features characteristic of clusters, provide reasoned conclusions.