An Integrated and Flexible Review Framework to Evaluate the Evolution and Barriers of Digital-Twin Technologies in Industrial and Healthcare Domains

Cinzia Daraio (), Simone Di Leo () and Jacopo Orsini ()
Additional contact information
Cinzia Daraio: Sapienza University of Rome
Simone Di Leo: Sapienza University of Rome
Jacopo Orsini: Sapienza University of Rome

Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 2025, vol. 26, issue 3, No 9, 625-648

Abstract: Abstract Digital-twin (DT) technologies are revolutionizing both industrial and healthcare domains, albeit at different stages of maturity and application complexity. This paper presents a novel Integrated Flexible Systematic Review (IFSR) framework to analyse the DTs adoption across these two sectors. Through two domain-specific systematic literature reviews comprising 133 rigorously selected articles, we identify key trends, enablers, and sector-specific barriers. Our findings reveal that while industrial DTs are widely applied in predictive maintenance, supply chain resilience, and smart manufacturing, healthcare DTs are still emerging, showing promise in personalized medicine, surgical simulation, and patient-specific diagnostics. A critical result is the identification of cross-domain spillover effects, where industrial innovations like real-time analytics, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR), and federated learning are beginning to influence healthcare practices. Conversely, healthcare’s high demands for precision and ethics are enhancing DTs development in industry. The analysis uncovers interoperability gaps, regulatory constraints, and computational challenges as primary adoption barriers, particularly in healthcare. This study contributes both methodologically, by proposing a dynamic, cross-sectoral review model, and substantively, by highlighting how DTs flexibility, when aligned with flexible system management principles, can foster adaptive, secure, and interoperable solutions. Future research directions are proposed to enhance DTs autonomy, privacy, and integration in both fields.

Keywords: Digital twins; Flexible review; Healthcare; Industrial applications; Systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I11 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s40171-025-00447-x Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:gjofsm:v:26:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s40171-025-00447-x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/journal/40171

DOI: 10.1007/s40171-025-00447-x

Access Statistics for this article

Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management is currently edited by Sushil

More articles in Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management from Springer, Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().