Seminar@SystemX animé par Christian Kober

Christian Kober (Co-Director of the ETH-HSG Manufacturing Alliance and Postdoctoral Researcher at ETH Zürich) anime un Seminar@SystemX sur le thème « Digital Twins in Manufacturing: From Technological Potential to Realised Industrial Value », le 28 mai 2026 de 14h à 15h.

Ce séminaire est organisé dans le cadre du programme Jumeaux Numériques des systèmes Industriels de l’IRT SystemX :

Pour participer à la réunion

Abstract

Digital Twins have emerged as one of the most prominent concepts in smart manufacturing and industrial digital transformation. However, despite significant technological advances and growing industrial investments, many Digital Twin initiatives still struggle to scale effectively or realise measurable value in operational environments. This talk presents insights from several years of research and industrial collaboration on the development and implementation of Digital Twins in manufacturing. The presentation discusses where and how Digital Twins create value across manufacturing systems and why many initiatives face challenges during implementation and scaling. Building on research and collaborations with industrial partners from sectors including aircraft, automotive, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, the seminar highlights key technological and organisational challenges, including data readiness, interoperability, scalability, stakeholder alignment, and the gap between technological ambition and operational  reality. The session further explores how organisations can move from technology-driven Digital Twin initiatives towards value-oriented implementation strategies that create measurable industrial impact. Finally, the talk reflects on the future role of Digital Twins in AI-enabled manufacturing systems and the broader transformation of industrial operations.

Biography

Dr. Christian Kober is Executive Co-Director of the ETH-HSG Manufacturing Alliance and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Chair of Production and Operations Management at ETH Zürich. The ETH-HSG Manufacturing Alliance is a flagship collaboration between ETH Zürich and the University of St. Gallen that brings together more than 13 multinational manufacturing companies to strengthen manufacturing research, foster industry–academia collaboration, and accelerate industrial innovation. Dr. Kober’s research focuses on value-oriented Digital Twin development and implementation in manufacturing, with particular emphasis on implementation strategies, industrial scaling challenges, Digital Twin fidelity, and the integration of Digital Twins into smart manufacturing and digital transformation initiatives. Before joining ETH Zürich, Christian was a Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), University of Cambridge. He completed his PhD on value-oriented Digital Twins in manufacturing at Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg and worked as a Research Associate at Airbus’s Composite Technology Center in Germany. Prior to his academic career, he gained industrial experience at Airbus and Mercedes-Benz in international engineering and manufacturing environments. Christian is also a Honorary Academic at the Laboratory for Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing Systems at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His research on Digital Twins has been published in leading journals including the International Journal of Production Research and Computers in Industry.