Foundational Research Gaps and Future Directions for Digital Twins

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and National Academy of Engineering and Division on Earth and Life Studies and Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences and Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate and Board on Life Sciences and Computer Science and Telecommunications Board and Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics and Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics and Committee on Foundational Research Gaps and Future Directions for Digital Twins

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Synopsis: Across multiple domains of science, engineering, and medicine, excitement is growing about the potential of digital twins to transform scientific research, industrial practices, and many aspects of daily life. A digital twin couples computational models with a physical counterpart to create a system that is dynamically updated through bidirectional data flows as conditions change. Going beyond traditional simulation and modeling, digital twins could enable improved medical decision-making at the individual patient level, predictions of future weather and climate conditions over longer timescales, and safer, more efficient engineering processes. However, many challenges remain before these applications can be realized. This report identifies the foundational research and resources needed to support the development of digital twin technologies. The report presents critical future research priorities and an interdisciplinary research agenda for the field, including how federal agencies and researchers across domains can best collaborate.