A Foundation for the Twinning Paradigm
Randy Paredis
TMC Europe
Digital Twins (DTs) appear everywhere, from small-scale systems to full-on factories. However, there is very little consensus in defining exactly what a DT is. Many different systems that can be called a DT are not as such in the eyes of other researchers. This is where the Twinning Paradigm resides: an over-arching umbrella for the full spectrum that unifies them under a common structure. By reframing how we think about DTs, the Paradigm aims to provide clarity and unification for a large set of similar systems.
Throughout the (currently quite ad-hoc) creation of such Twinning Systems, a plethora of choices impacts the functionality and performance of the realized system, comprised of the actual SuS and its model. This talk will also touch on four stages at which this variability may appear:
(A) Properties of Interest in the Problem Space:
An initial choice of the exact goal(s) and purpose(s) for the Twinning System highly impacts the end product.
(B) (Conceptual) Architecture and Design:
When a choice is made in terms of goal(s), it is important to identify the individual system components required to (functionally) ensure the valid behaviour of the Twinning System. Furthermore, these may need to be combined/federated at a higher, conceptual level.
(C) Modelling & Simulation:
Selecting the exact modelling languages and creating the models of the SuS.
(D) Deployment:
Individual tools and frameworks need to be selected, as well as the middleware, the communication protocols etc. It may be required to do an external analysis of the potential deployment solutions. Choices made in one stage influence the solutions and subsequent possible choices (or configurations) in the subsequent stage.
Speaker bio: Dr. Randy Paredis is an employeneur at TMC Europe, currently consulting at Atlas Copco. He obtained his PhD from the University of Antwerp in March 2025, where he specialized in Digital Twins. More specifically, he explored a generic architecture and framework for model-based design of Digital Twins within the context of Industry 4.0. Additionally, he also concerns himself with using DEVS as a common denominator for discrete-event modelling languages and focusing on modelling and simulation as a whole.