4 out of 10 industrial companies already rely on digital twins – majority sees decisive importance in international competition – Monday, 17.4.2023 the Hannover Messe starts
Optimising the speed of the oil press, checking the status of the bearings or simulating the installation of the new machine – and all without setting foot in the factory or even shutting down production. This is made possible by digital twins, i.e. virtual copies or models of real objects or entire systems. At the start of the Hannover Messe next Monday, German industry has high expectations for this technology: 63 percent of industrial companies are convinced that digital twins are indispensable to survive in international competition.
Already 44 percent are using digital twins, 8 percent are planning to do so and another 14 percent can imagine doing so in principle. Only 10 percent cannot imagine using them in the future, and one in five industrial companies (20 percent) has not even considered the technology yet. These are the results of a representative survey commissioned by the digital association Bitkom among 603 companies in Germany, including 163 industrial companies.
“Industry has been the guarantor of Germany’s economic strength for decades. For the future of Germany as an industrial location, the consistent integration of digital technologies in the development, production and maintenance of machines and entire plant parks is of crucial importance,” says Bitkom President Achim Berg. “Digital twins will be a standard in industry in the future. With them, manufacturers can optimise their processes, reduce costs and conserve resources. Digital twins are a crucial building block for more sustainable business in production.”
This is also reflected in the hopes of the industry: 59 percent of German industrial companies assume that digital twins will contribute to sustainable production. Just under half (49 percent) think digital twins will enable completely new business models. Only 17 percent of industrial companies in Germany believe that digital twins are a hype that will soon pass.
Note on methodology: The data is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. In the process, 603 companies with 20 or more employees in Germany were interviewed by telephone, including 163 industrial companies. The overall survey is representative. The questions were: “Are digital twins already being used in your company?” and “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about digital twins?
