Abstract
The agro-industrial complex plays a vital role in driving economic growth and sustainable development. This study investigates the direct and indirect impact of technological innovations, knowledge transfer, and value chain governance on intersectoral integration through the mediatory role of innovation diffusion and the moderating role of the regulatory environment. This study adopts a time-lagged quantitative survey research design, utilizing a multistage random sampling technique to collect data from employees within the agro-industrial complex in Kazakhstan. The findings reveal that technological innovations, knowledge transfer, and value chain governance positively influence intersectoral integration within the agro-industrial complex. Furthermore, innovation diffusion mediates the relationship between these variables, indicating that the diffusion of innovative practices, technologies, and ideas plays a crucial role in facilitating intersectoral integration. This study also demonstrates that the regulatory environment moderates the relationship between innovation diffusion and intersectoral integration, highlighting the importance of supportive regulatory frameworks in facilitating collaboration and innovation diffusion. The results contribute to the theoretical understanding of intersectoral integration and provide practical implications for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and managers.