Digital twins are the key to sustainability

The global survey of more than 2,000 professionals from different industries and 10 countries examined the adoption of digital twin technology and assessed how companies are using it, the benefits it brings to their business and the impact it has on sustainability initiatives.

"As consumer demand, government expectations and global emissions targets increase, so do the demands on automakers to keep their electric vehicle production on track," said Dr. Royston Jones, Senior Vice President of Automotive at Altair. "The survey results show how important the use of digital twins is to achieving these targets. Although many companies have already integrated these technologies into their processes, there is still a lot of education needed about the benefits that will lead to rapid adoption of the technologies across the industry and beyond."

According to the survey, the automotive industry ranks second only to heavy engineering among the eleven sectors surveyed in terms of the prevalence of digital twins. Although 76% of respondents from the automotive industry stated that their company already uses digital twin technologies, users in the automotive industry are apparently still at an early stage of adoption and would like to learn more about the benefits and possible applications. Only 35% of respondents believe that they are "very familiar with digital twin solutions" - the second lowest percentage of all industries surveyed.

Crucially, almost all respondents from the automotive sector (92%) who said they used digital twins said they had helped them to develop more sustainable products and processes. The automotive industry was the sector most likely (63%) to use digital twins to achieve sustainability goals. Solutions using digital twin technology reduce material waste by allowing engineers to run simulations during the design process and test features before they are prototyped, reducing the number of physical prototypes needed.

Conversion to e-mobility

The transition to electric vehicles, which will be an important aspect in the fight against climate change and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, is driving rapid change in the automotive industry. Consumer interest and demand for EVs is growing, and the U.S. government is enacting stricter regulations to incentivize automakers to move away from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. Digital twin technology can help the automotive industry bring more EVs to market faster and at affordable prices.