Awareness, Benefits and Challenges to Digital Twin Adoption in the Irish Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Industry
| dc.contributor.author | Shevlin, Rory | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-10-30T11:45:11Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-10-30T11:45:11Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | In this dissertation the awareness of Digital Twin adoption in the Irish Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical industry are investigated. The benefits of Digital Twins, and the technical and regulatory barriers to their adoption are studied. Research was conducted using a mixed-method approach of an online survey (n=109) and an interview that was thematically analysed (n=4). All participants currently work in the Irish Pharmaceutical or Biopharmaceutical industry. The interview process inclusion criteria required participants to have an expert level of knowledge in ‘Digital 4.0’ technology. The survey identified a low awareness level of Digital Twins within the industry generally. There is a notable skew towards lower knowledge levels outside of Automation and IT roles. The interviews supported this with three of the participants describing awareness as minimal and the fourth indicating that knowledge was limited to those directly involved in implementation. The lack of engagement from operations and quality stakeholders would be essential for widespread adoption and highlights a need for broader understanding. Furthermore, there is general confusion across all roles on the definition and purpose of a Digital Twin. The benefits of Digital Twins were considered significant by both survey and interview participants. A greater understanding of manufacturing processes and improved process yields were repeatedly identified as major potential benefits. The interview responses supported and emphasised that financial justifications from both a capital and sustaining perspective are essential. Therefore, investment should be directed strategically to obtain the greatest return. The chief technical barriers identified in the primary research were that of data and system integration. The regulatory barriers were not widely perceived as significant from the survey population. However, respondents that did feel they were significant identified vendor model regulatory compliance and traceability of data as the main barriers. The interview responses indicated the regulatory barriers were significant and that the lack of a regulatory framework or guidance around Digital Twin validation and implementation generally, is a critical barrier to broader adoption of Digital Twins within the industry. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14136/209 | |
| dc.title | Awareness, Benefits and Challenges to Digital Twin Adoption in the Irish Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Industry | |
| dc.type | Thesis |