Digital Twins in Industry 4.0: A Practitioner’s Perspective

The rapid evolution of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is transforming industrial processes, emphasizing the convergence of digital technologies with manufacturing. Central to this paradigm shift are digital twins, virtual counterparts that mirror real-world entities, processes, and systems. This article explores the central role digital twins play in the I4.0 landscape. Building on the experiences we developed in the design and implementation of advanced digital twin solutions, the article adopts a practitioner’s perspective to discuss practices, lessons learned, and design guidelines that characterize this emerging application field.