Bitkom: Lack of IT infrastructure and data is slowing down the use of digital twins

More than half of German industrial companies (57%) are of the opinion that the necessary data for the use of digital twins is missing. And not everything is running smoothly with the technical infrastructure either: almost half (48%) see deficiencies in the IT infrastructure as the reason why the use of digital twins often fails. These are the results of a representative survey commissioned by the digital association Bitkom, which was conducted among 555 companies in the manufacturing sector on the occasion of the Hanover Industrial Trade Fair.

“Digital twins are of outstanding importance for the future of German industry,” says Bitkom Vice President Dr. Tanja Rückert. “Technology needs one thing above all: data. All industrial companies should be intensively involved with the topic and the findings of initiatives in this area and apply them in their own companies and products. It is also important not only to use the data yourself, but also to be open to sharing it with others in a meaningful way.”

German industry still has some catching up to do when it comes to digital twins. More than a fifth (23%) see themselves at the forefront here (3% in the lead; 20% as pioneers). However, 60% see their company as a laggard and 14% are of the opinion that they have missed the boat. German industry has recognized the importance of digital twins as a competitive factor. 6 out of 10 industrial companies (62%) consider them to be very important for competitiveness (27% very important; 35% somewhat important). In contrast, just over a third (36%) consider this technology to be of minor importance (21% rather minor; 15% very minor).

The majority of German industrial companies are also positive about digital twins when it comes to workflows and processes within production. Almost 8 out of 10 industrial companies (79%) believe that digital twins enable predictive maintenance and thus avoid unplanned downtime. Almost 6 in 10 (58%) say that digital twins make production processes more efficient. Just as many (58%) see it as an opportunity to realize completely new business models. The sustainability factor is also relevant for the industry. Two thirds (66%) see the technology as an opportunity to reduce emissions. Rückert: “Politicians are also called upon to provide companies with targeted support – for example through low-threshold AI funding programs for SMEs.”

Methodological note

The data is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. It involved a telephone survey of 555 industrial companies in the manufacturing sector with 100 or more employees in Germany. The survey is representative. The survey took place in the period from week 6 2026 to week 11 2026. The questions were: “In your opinion, to what extent do the following statements apply?”; “Where does your company generally stand on the topic of digital twins in production?” and “In your opinion, what significance do digital twins have for the competitiveness of German industrial companies in the future?”.

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Further links

👉 www.bitkom.org  

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