Digital Twin: Finding Common Ground – A Meta-Review

The concept of the Digital Twin in the context of Industry 4.0 is omnipresent in research concerning manufacturing. However, the understanding of the term varies between applications. Although scholars have previously reviewed research on the topic, a consensus was never reached. Therefore, this paper attempts to compare existing reviews relating to the Digital Twin with the purpose of detecting prevalent as well as contrasting views on key issues. It elucidates commonalities in terminology, conceivable benefits as well as remaining research issues. Hence, it provides a conceptual outline of the Digital Twin that further research can build upon.