Digital twins in engineering: a literature review and expert survey for potential analysis
摘要
Digital twins offer significant potential for optimizing engineering processes, yet their application across industries remains uneven. This study combines a PRISMA-guided publication-based literature review with an expert survey to analyze the current use and perceived potential of digital twin technologies. The literature review consists of two parts: the first provides a normative analysis of definitions and conceptual distinctions between digital twins and simulations based on international standards and foundational literature; the second applies a PRISMA-based screening and analysis of peer-reviewed publications to examine modeling approaches, interaction concepts, and application contexts. While conceptual distinctions between simulations and digital twins are well established in standards and prior research, a clear research gap remains regarding their process-related role within engineering development workflows and their perceived relevance in industrial practice. To address this gap, a total of 56 professionals from sectors such as automotive, IT, and research participated in an online survey. The survey investigates the opportunities and challenges associated with implementing digital twins in various industrial domains in the region of southern Germany. In addition to the empirical analysis, the paper provides a process-oriented classification of simulations, virtual testing, and digital twins along the V‑Model, building on established definitions rather than proposing a new conceptual distinction. Although the data indicate strong future interest, barriers such as limited user experience and implementation costs remain. By linking a structured state-of-the-art analysis with practitioner perceptions, the study contributes a process-oriented perspective on digital twins that connects existing definitions with their practical adoption.