“We are working on a guide for designing and implementing digital twins, taking a human-centric approach”
Ethical and sustainable digital transformation: digital twins in industrial environments
TECNALIA, together with the Finnish Institute for Occupational Health (FIOH) and OSALAN (the Basque Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) are working on an ambitious initiative to integrate digital twin (DT) technology into manufacturing processes under a human-centred, safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) approach.
This initiative is looking to redefine how digital twins are implemented in industrial environments, prioritising the health, safety and well-being of workers. This technology, which digitally replicates physical processes in real time, has been identified as one of the five key technologies for Industry 5.0 by the European Commission.
Coming soon: guide open to the public
One of the main results will be a downloadable guide in several languages, which will provide practical recommendations for developers, companies, occupational health officers and policymakers.
- This guide is being produced in conjunction with a group of manufacturing companies that have implemented digital twins in industrial use cases.
- The guide provides a practical overview of how to implement human-centric components for manufacturing systems from the initial design stages of digital twins.
Technology with a human conscience
Unlike previous approaches, that have focused solely on efficiency, the pioneering guide combines principles of ergonomics, ethics, sustainability and the active participation of workers.
The aim is to prevent emerging risks from digitalisation and ensure that technology complements, rather than replaces, the human role in industry.
Impact on European industry
With an initial focus on the manufacturing sector, which is the backbone of the European economy, it is aimed at facilitating the digital and green transition of companies, particularly SMEs, which account for more than 99% of the sector.
Furthermore, this initiative will contribute to the standardisation and regulation of emerging technologies, in line with European strategies such as Industry 5.0 and the safe and sustainable design of materials.
