Albert Einstein once said: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” This philosophy can absolutely be applied to the notion of digital transformation and, more specifically, how digital twins are helping businesses collaborate, experiment, test and innovate in new ways.  

What is a digital twin? 

In a recent Matterport showcase, their Brand and Product Marketing Director for EMEA, Ivor Morgan, told us the true definition of a digital twin: 

“It’s not a static object, it’s not designed to represent just a system or just a series of components or a physical asset, what it’s intended to do is make engaging space in which people can work and collaborate.”  

And evidently the value of that collaboration opportunity is widely recognised. According to Gartner – the market for digital twin-enabling software and services is expected to reach $150 billion dollars worldwide by 2030, up from only $9 billion dollars this year. That’s an astronomical growth rate. But why? 

Let’s take a closer look at some use cases. Forbes recently released an article titled ‘The best examples of digital twins everyone should know about,’ which included how doctors are using a digital twin of the human brain to better understand neurological illnesses, like Alzheimer’s. EU-funded project, Neurotwin, is the first ever to focus on modelling both the electromagnetic activity and the physiology of the brain, made possible by digital twin technology.  

Another example is the Los Angeles NFL Stadium – one of the largest smart stadiums in the United States – which has been created as a digital twin. This allows the stadium team to run tests, look at additional procedures or emergency situations and predict maintenance challenges before they arise.  

But how can they be leveraged in organisations like yours? During the Matterport showcase, Ben Gaston, Senior Director, Enterprise Sales EMEA, shared best practices on getting proof of concept and ROI from digital twins: “Start with what do you normally measure – how do you normally quantify rate of return and a well-structured digital twin process will probably support your business process.” He added that digital twins don’t have to be large expansive projects, and can support smaller, internal projects like onboarding and employee training.  

GDS Group hosts events covering topics like this one and many more. If you found this interesting and would like to hear more, head over to GDSGroup.com and see what else is available.