This presentation by Alex Read was made at the NAFEMS eSeminar "Simulation & Digital Twins - Behind the Buzzwords" on the 2nd of May 2018.

The engineering world faces significant changes and challenges: from the advent of smart connected and increasingly complex devices, shifts in the production and storage of energy, through to “Big Tech’s” increasing involvement, and often competition, in the “traditional” engineering world. One implication from these trends is a familiar refrain: get innovative new products to market, faster and at lower cost.

The good news is that the technology to support these processes is also improving at pace, and central to this is the concept of the Digital Twin. presentation will start by defining what Siemens PLM views as the holistic digital twin, including its use in ideation, realization and utilization, and how this is brought together via the digital thread. It will then highlight the role and requirements for simulation and test in the digital twin, and end by provide examples of how this is being used today, its value and where we see future development and application.