Of all the uses that come from advancing technology, perhaps the most interesting is the way it can be used as a tool to turn something that was once impossible to know into something more certain.
Digital Twin Technology is a perfect example of that.
Digital twins are a key component to what is known as digital transformation, said subject matter expert Douglas Kiehl, who has held related positions with some of Indiana’s most forward-thinking biotech companies and organizations, including Eli Lilly and BioCrossroads. Digital transformation is a process that companies implement to work and serve their clientele more efficiently.
Digital Twin is one of those processes. It generates not just a digital copy of a physical object but also helps automate the data and workflows of the object. Digital twins are virtual replicas of real-life objects and systems that can be monitored, studied and simulated in real-time to solve challenges and improve products and services.
Transcending Industries
A digital twin pioneer in the pharmaceutical sector, Kiehl established and led Eli Lilly’s Disruptive/Transformative Technologies Team (DT3) and Digital Twin Center of Excellence. In addition, he serves as Chair for the Digital Twin Consortium Pharma Industry/Regulatory Working Group in addition to several other national and international associations. He said that as conversations about digital twin technology progressed, members from all industries were struck by its ability to provide value across the board.
“Digital twins transcends silos,” he said. “And as we discussed it, we realized, ‘Oh my gosh, we are in an area that transcends any of our verticals.”
From pharmaceuticals to cancer research and treatment, from architectural design to steel manufacturing, digital twin technology is leading innovation in every corner of Indiana’s business community.
Personalizing Medicine
At Indiana University’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering in Bloomington, Paul Macklin, Ph.D., and associates are applying digital twins to one of medicine’s most complicated subjects – cancer treatment. In an area where therapy and treatment were guided by patient past data, the technology can now be used to replicate the patient, creating individualized digital twins to more accurately assess and determine treatments.
“In weather forecasting, accurate computer models help farmers, prepare us for hot summer days, and save lives with severe weather warnings. When a computer model is paired with real-time data, they form a digital twin: a digital replica of a real-world counterpart, which enables not just forecasting, but also virtual experiments: how would that prediction change with an increase in temperature or humidity?” said Macklin. “We don’t have cancer forecasting. Prior clinical trials and sophisticated diagnostics can help clinicians choose a treatment that worked for similar patients in the past, but they can’t simulate the individual patient’s response. We are working to change this.”
Macklin said they are developing physics-based models of cancer and immune cells and treatments. The medical experts can then match the models to individual patient data, which is a crucial step in creating cancer patient digital twins, he noted.
“And we’re running thousands of simulations on supercomputers to virtually test and compare many possible treatment options: chemotherapy, immunotherapy, combinations and more,” he said. “We are building a future of cancer forecasting, where oncologists study a patient’s digital twin to choose the best treatment, monitor its effect, and look for ways to improve in real time.”
Blueprints for the Future
In the architecture and construction industries, digital twin technology is revolutionizing the way buildings are designed and how they are managed after construction is finished.
“One of the most compelling applications of digital twins in buildings is the ability to access live data that reveals true building performance,” said Adam James, CEO of architectural and engineering firm Design Collaborative. “While this data takes different forms for different users, it offers immense value, especially for the people actively using the space.
For facilities teams, James said digital twins provide real-time insights from a wide range of sensors — not just temperature, but also CO₂ levels, lighting conditions, and occupancy. He said a bigger benefit of digital twins is its ability to help facilities teams predict future usage trends and proactively adjust environmental settings to optimize both energy efficiency and occupant comfort. Facility teams also have access to predictive maintenance capabilities, providing quicker access to equipment manuals through an integrated dashboard and the ability to troubleshoot issues before they become problems.
“From a designer’s perspective, digital twins offer an exciting opportunity to compare actual building performance against design intent. Rather than a project ending when construction is complete, digital twins extend the lifecycle of design thinking into the building’s ongoing use,” he said. “They provide insights into how spaces are truly utilized, enabling design teams to collaborate with owners on data-informed decisions about space planning and resource allocation.”
Tough Tech Transformation
Steel manufacturing has been through several industrial revolutions, where transformation has changed the landscape of the industry. A new technological age brought change once again. Robert J. Joseph, operations manager for ArcelorMittal – Global Research and Development, said that as a world leader in steel production, his company was prepared for the change.
“ArcelorMittal Global R&D has been using digital twin applications for longer than the term has existed. We are in a fairly unique position of using digital applications to develop, assist, and optimize both product designs and production processes for facilities that are located around the world, sometimes thousands of miles away from our own backyard in Northwest Indiana,” said Joseph.
Currently, the company is using advanced digital applications to model and fine-tune operations in facilities and using process optimization modelling software and associated hardware to simulate different scenarios and anticipate roadblocks before a production run begins.
“Product development has also greatly benefited from utilizing this technology to gauge the response of applied high-strength steel in vehicle designs to improve safety and performance. We’ve focused on developing self-training digital systems that will logically adapt to various scenarios and gauge different materials’ reactions and performances accordingly,” he said. “This use of digital twinning enables us to simulate vehicle crash scenarios and use the findings to help customers produce safer, lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles.”
The Road Ahead
Kiehl notes that Indiana is on par with most of the states in the industrial use of digital twins. He noted there have been significant strides in the use of digital twin technologies in industries like automotive and aerospace. However, the adoption of digital twins in the pharmaceutical industry has been slower due to more rigid regulations, he noted. Despite the slower growth, he said it is gaining momentum, greatly enhanced by academic partnerships and cross-industry collaborations.
“We will continue to build the presence of digital twins in all industries here in Indiana. We need to develop this as a sector in Indiana,” said Kiehl. “I would love to see Indiana become the San Jose of the Midwest for this technology.”
