Digital Twin Maturity: Who are the Digital Twin Beginners, Optimizers and Leaders?
Digital twins reshape how industries innovate and operate. These virtual models unlock data-driven insights and optimize processes. However, not all industries leverage their full potential. Hexagon’s Digital Twin Industry Report, informed by more than 600 C-suite executives, maps industries along the Digital Twin Maturity Matrix. This model evaluates technical maturity and business value.
Let’s explore key findings from companies in our different maturity groups (beginners, optimizers and leaders).
Beginners: Architecture, Engineering and Construction
The Maturity Matrix shows the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry at the beginner level — challenges such as fragmented processes and disparate expectations slow adoption. Joshua Marriott, director of virtual design and construction for The Weitz Company, highlights that real-time data access fosters confidence among decision-makers and streamlines workflows for teams with up to 1,000 on-site workers.
So, why is the AEC sector at the beginner level? Broader adoption requires overcoming the mismatch in digital twin expectations among AEC firms and their clients. Despite hurdles, advancements in visualization, robotics and reality capture signal progress in the AEC sector.
Optimizers: General Manufacturing
The Digital Twin Maturity Matrix in the report categorizes general manufacturing as an “optimizer” with relatively lower technical sophistication but substantial business value. Companies like National Medical Products use digital twins to simulate manufacturing processes, optimize efficiency and reduce costly errors. Harit Patel, operations engineer and strategic growth manager at National Medical Products, says using digital twins has helped elevate the company’s manufacturing capabilities. He says, “It makes it more efficient. It allows us to control what the machine is going to do, helps us optimize the processing and the cutting; you can just click one button, and it gives you an efficient way of doing exactly what you want, nine times out of 10.”
Manufacturers often use digital twins in specific cases, such as supply chain optimization and energy efficiency, yielding significant returns even with narrow applications. Thus, the sector remains poised for deeper digital twin integration as awareness grows, particularly as companies recognize their ability to predict and prevent failures.
Leaders: Public Safety
Public safety emerges as a leader because of its high technical maturity with business value. Their effectiveness stems from their fundamental need to have accurate, real-time information to make quick decisions. This has driven the adoption of digital twin applications such as crime scene reconstructions and wildfire simulations. These demonstrable, life-saving benefits make this sector a standout in realizing digital twin potential.
Kelly Robertson, the administration of justice professor and department coordinator at Fullerton College in California, says public safety professionals use tools like drones and 3D scanners to enhance efficiency and community impact.
What Are the High Potentials?
It’s important to note that the “high potentials” quadrant in the report reflects industries that have invested heavily in digital twin technology but have yet to realize its value fully. Management attitudes often pose barriers, with only 7% of leaders in these companies showing strong enthusiasm for digital twins. Among other firms with digital twins, enthusiasm by leaders reaches 45%. However, increased spending (some 62% of leaders plan to boost funding in the next 12 months) and a focus on data collection suggest these organizations are well positioned to achieve value in the near future.
What’s ahead?
Digital twins hold immense promise for organizations across sectors, enabling smarter decisions, greater efficiency and sustainability gains. However, the pace of adoption varies. Where does your organization stand? Visit Hexagon’s Digital Twin Industry Report to discover more insights from top executives and senior leaders and track your organization on the Digital Twin Value-Maturity Matrix.