Energy-Conscious Digital Twins in Sustainable Manufacturing: A Bibliometric Review

Authors

  • Jessica Ferley Dominguez Rangel Universidad de Pamplona, Pamplona, Colombia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1571-5952
  • Luis Enrique Mendoza Universidad de Pamplona, Pamplona, Colombia
  • Zulmary Carolina Nieto Sánchez Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, Cúcuta, Colombia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6725-4601

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61799/2216-0388.2277

Keywords:

Artificial Intelligence; Digital Twins; Energy Efficiency; Industrial Sustainability; Industry 4.0; Sustainable Manufacturing.

Abstract

Objective: To characterize scientific output regarding digital twins applied to manufacturing through a bibliometric analysis and to investigate, within this corpus, the presence of sustainability and energy efficiency dimensions within the framework of Industry 4.0. Method: A total of 7,460 records were retrieved from Scopus using the search string TITLE-ABS-KEY(“digital twin” AND manufacturing) on February 26, 2026, with no limitations regarding language, document type, or scientific field. After excluding 2,101 records falling outside the study period (2005–2024), a final corpus of 5,359 documents was analyzed, following the identification, screening, and selection steps of the PRISMA model. Annual output, document type, main publication sources, and keyword co-occurrence (using VOSviewer 1.6.20) were analyzed. Results: Output rose from 42 documents in 2017 to 1,588 in 2024, with the 2017–2024 period accounting for 99.8% of the corpus (5,348 out of 5,359 documents); the predominant document types were conference papers (44.7%) and scientific articles (38.5%). The co-occurrence map encompasses 1,000 keywords organized into 8 clusters. Sustainability and energy are present but appear with frequencies far lower than that of “digital twin” (3,012 occurrences). Conclusion: The corpus, which covers the broad field of digital twins in manufacturing rather than a subset restricted to energy or sustainability, shows sustained, recent growth, with specialized conference proceedings and manufacturing engineering journals among the main publication sources. The design does not allow determining the centrality of energy sustainability within the field of digital twins in manufacturing, and the distribution by authors, institutions, countries, or thematic areas was not analyzed.

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Published

2027-01-01

Issue

Section

Artículos de Revisión

How to Cite

[1]
Dominguez Rangel, J.F. et al. 2027. Energy-Conscious Digital Twins in Sustainable Manufacturing: A Bibliometric Review. Mundo FESC Journal. 17, 37 (Jan. 2027). DOI:https://doi.org/10.61799/2216-0388.2277.

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