The use of Digital Twin technology in vocational education as a response to the challenges of Industry 4.0
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24917/20801653.401.5Keywords:
Digital Twin, Erasmus Project, Industry 4.0, Vocational SchoolsAbstract
The article examines the transformations taking place within the framework of Industry 4.0 and their implications for vocational education, with particular emphasis on Digital Twin (DT) technology. It highlights the growing importance of emerging occupational competences and the challenges faced by learners in the context of the rapid advancement of digital technologies. The aim of the study is to present the potential for integrating DT technology into the teaching and learning process in vocational schools as a key element supporting the development of future ‑oriented competences. The paper discusses the evolution of DT technology and selected areas of its application within Industry 4.0. It also explores the changing role of vocational school teachers and the expanded range of competences required in response to technological transformation. Furthermore, the study proposes practical approaches to incorporating selected DT solutions into vocational curricula. The research is based on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, case studies of DT technology implementation in vocational schools in Germany, and an analysis of the outcomes of the international DiTwin project. The findings confirm the validity and necessity of implementing DT technology in vocational education as an effective tool for enhancing practical training and fostering the development of both technical and transversal (soft) skills among learners.
Downloads
References
Allen, B.D. (2021). Digital Twins and Living Models at NASA. Pozyskano z: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/ api/citations/20210023699/downloads/ASME%20Digital%20Twin%20Summit%20Keynote_final.pdf (dostęp: 10.11.2025).
Bauernhansl, T., Hartleif, S., Felix, T. (2018). The digital shadow of production – a conceptfor the effective and efficient information supply in dynamic industrial environments. Procedia CIRP, 72, 69–74. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. procir.2018.03.188.
Carretero, S., Vuorikari, R., Punie, Y. (2017). The digital competence framework for citizens with eight proficiency levels and examples of use. European Union. doi: https://doi.org/10.2760/38842
de Kerckhove, D. (2021). The personal digital twin, ethical considerations. Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 379(2207), 1–12. Pozyskano z: https://www.jstor.org/stable/27100810 (dostęp: 10.11.2025).
DiTwin. (2025). https://www.ditwin.eu/home‑ ditwin ‑polski/ (dostęp w okresie 20.03.2025 – 30.12.2025).
Eseryel, D., Ge, X., Ifenthaler, D., Law, V. (2011). Dynamic modeling as a cognitive regulation scaffold for developing complex problem‑ solving skills in an educational massively multiplayer online game environment. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 45(3), 265–286. doi: https://doi.org/10.2190/EC.45.3.a
Ferrari, A. (2013). DIGCOMP: A Framework For Developing and Understanding Digital Competence in Europe. W: Y. Punie, B.N. Brečko (red.), Borrador. INTEF. European Union. doi: https://doi.org/10.2788/52966
Fraillon, J., Ainley, J., Schulz, W., Friedman, T., Gebhardt, E. (2014). Preparing for Life in a Digital Age. Heidelberg: Springer Science + Business Media. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978‑3319‑14222‑7
Fuller, A., Zhong, F., Day, C., Barlow, C. (2019). Digital twin: enabling technologies, challenges and open research. IEEE Access. Piscataway, NJ: IEEE. Pozyskano z: https://arxiv.org/ abs/1911.01276 (dostęp: 29.12.2025).
GAO. (2023). Digital Twins – Virtual Models of People and Objects, Science & Tech Spotlight. Pozyskano z: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao‑23‑106453 (dostęp: 10.11.2025).
Gebhardt, J., Grimm, A., Neugebauer, L.M. (2015). Developments 4.0 – Prospects on future requirements and impacts on work and vocational education. Journal of Technical Education, 3(2), 117–133.
Grieves, M. (2015). Digital Twin: Manufacturing Excellence through Virtual Factory Replication. Pozyskano z: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275211047_Digital_Twin_ Manufacturing_Excellence_through_Virtual_Factory_Replication (dostęp: 27.12.2025).
Grzesik, W. (2023). Cyfrowy bliźniak w procesach wytwórczych. Część I. Stan zagadnienia, architektura i zastosowania. Mechanik, 1. Pozyskano z: https://www.mechanik.media.pl/pliki/do_pobrania/artykuly/23/2023_01_s0008.pdf (dostęp: 22.12.2025).
Hazeleger, W., Aerts, J.P.M., Bauer, P. i in. (2024). Digital twins of the Earth with and for humans. Commun Earth Environ, 5, 463. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247‑024‑01626‑x
Hecklau, F., Galeitzke, M., Flachs, S., Kohl, H. (2016). Holistic approach for human resource management in industry 4.0. Procedia CIRP, 54, 1–6. doi: https://doi.org/‑10.1016/j.procir.2016.05.102
Heyse, V. (2018). Mittelstand 4.0 im Spannungsfeld des digitalen Wandels. W: V. Heyse, J. Erpenbeck, S. Ortmann, S. Coester (red.), Mittelstand 4.0: Eine digitale Herausforderung. Münster: Waxmann, 9–15.
IBM. (2025). What is a digital twin? Pozyskano z: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/digital‑twin (dostęp: 15.12.2025).
Ifenthaler, D. (2018). How we learn at the digital workplace. W: D. Ifenthaler (red.), Digital Workplace Learning – Bridging formal and informal learning with digital technologies, 3–8). New York – Berlin – Heidelberg: Springer. doi: https://doi.org/‑10.1007/978‑3‑31946215‑8
Jones, D., Snider, Ch., Nassehi, Y., Yon, J., Hicks, B. (2020). Characterising the Digital Twin: A systematic literature review. CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology, 29A, 36–52. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cirpj.2020.02.002
Kritzinger, W., Karner, M., Traar, G., Henjens, J., Sihn, W. (2018). Digital twin in manufacturing: A categorical literature review and classification. IFAC -PapersOnLine, 51/11, 1016–1022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2018.08.474
Kumar, S., Patil, S., Bongale, A., Kotecha, K., Bongale, M. (2020). Demystifying artificial intelligence based digital twins in manufacturing – a bibliometric analysis of trends and techniques. Library Philosophy and Practice (e‑ journal), Library University of Nebraska. Pozyskano z: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346057367 (dostęp: 12.11.2025).
Kusiak, A. (2018). Smart manufacturing. International Journal of Production Research, 56, 1–2, 508–517. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2017.1351644
Le Moigne, J., Smith, B., Little, M., Morris, R., Rogers, L., Ranson, J., Oz, N. (2024). Technology for Earth System Digital Twins. NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO). Pozyskano z: https://destination ‑earth.eu/wp ‑content/uploads/2024/05/Technology‑ for‑Earth‑ ‑System ‑Digital ‑Twins‑.pdf (dostęp: 15.11.2025).
Lu, Y., Liu C., Wang, K.I., Huang, H., Xu, X. (2019). Digital twin ‑driven smart manufacturing: connotation, reference model, applications and research issues. Robotics and Computer- Integrated Manufacturing, 61, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. rcim.2019.101837
O’Sullivan, J. (2020), A case ‑study in the introduction of a digital‑ ‑twin in a large ‑scale manufacturing facility. Cork Open Research Archive (CORK). Pozyskano z: http://hdl.handle. net/10468/11867 (dostęp: 13.11.2025).
Qi, Q., Tao, F., Hu, T., Anwer, N., Liu, A., Wei, Y., Wang, L., Nee, A. (2021).Enabling technologies and tools for digital twin. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 58B, 3–21. doi: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jmsy.2019.10.001
Raza, M., Kumar, P., Hung, D., Davis, W., Nguyen, H., Trestian, R. (2020). A Digital Twin Framework for Industry 4.0 Enabling Next -Gen Manufacturing. Conference paper. doi: https://doi.org/ 10.1109/ICITM48982.2020.9080395
Roll, M.J.J., Ifenthaler, D. (2020a). The Impact of Learning Factories on Multidisciplinary Digital Competencies. W: E. Wuttke, J. Seifried, H. Niegemann (red.), Vocational Education and Training in the Age of Digitization: Challenges and Opportunities, 1. Verlag Barbara Budrich, 23–38. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv18dvv1c.5
Roll, M., Ifenthaler, D. (2020b). Lernortübergreifende Kompetenzentwicklung in der Industrie 4.0: Die Entwicklung digitaler Handlungskompetenz in der dualen Berufsausbildung aus der Ausbilderperspektive. Zeitschrift für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik, 29, 185–209.
Schäffer, U., Weber, J. (2018). Digitalisierung Ante Portas. Controlling, 30, 4–11.
Scheid, R. (2018). Learning factories in vocational schools: Challenges for designing and implementing learning factories at vocational schools. W: D. Ifenthaler (red.), Digital workplace learning: Bridging formal and informal learning with digital technologies. New York: Springer, 271–289.
Singh, S., Weeber, M., Birke, K.‑P. (2021). Advancing digital twin implementation: a toolbox for modelling and simulation. Procedia CIRP, 99, 567–572. doi: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.procir.2021.03.078
Sommer, L. (2015). Industrial revolution – Industry 4.0: Are German manufacturing SMEs the first victims of this revolution?. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 8(5), 1512–1532. doi: https://doi.org/10.3926/jiem.1470
Spöttl, G., Gorldt, C., Windelband, L., Grantz, T., Richter, T. (2016). Industrie 4.0: Auswirkungen auf Aus‑ und Weiterbildung in der M+E Industrie. bayme – Bayerischer Unternehmensverband Metall und Elektro e.V.
Thames, L., Schaefer, D. (2017). Cybersecurity for industry 4.0. New York: Springer.
Tomczyk, T., van der Valk, H. (2022). Digital Twin Paradigm Shift. The Journey of the Digital Twin Definition. Pozyskano z: https:// www.researchgate.net/publication/360195802 (dostęp: 18.11.2025).
Van Zutphen, T. (2018) The Digital Twin, Ethical Issues and Mechanical Morality. T- Systems Customer Magazine, 3.
Vogel ‑Heuser, B., Bayrak, G., Frank, U. (2012). Forschungsfragen in „Produktionsautomatisierung der Zukunft”. Diskussionspapier Für Die Acatech Projektgruppe „ProCPS – Production CPS”. München: acatech – Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften.
Voigt, K.‑I., Müller, J.M., Veile, Johannes, W., Becker, W. (2018). Industrie 4.0 – Risiken für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen. In W. Becker, B. Eierle, A. Fliaster, B. Ivens, A. Leischnig, A. Pflaum, E. Sucky (red.), Geschäftsmodelle in der digitalen Welt. Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler, 517–534.
Wang, J., Ye L., Gao, R.X., Li, C., Zhang, L. (2019): Digital Twin for rotating machinery fault diagnosis in smart manufacturing. International Journal of Production Research, 57, 12, 3920–3934. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543. 2018.1552032
Wilbers, K. (2017). Industrie 4.0 und Wirtschaft 4.0: Eine Chance für die kaufmännische Berufsbildung. W: K. Wilbers (red.), Industrie 4.0: Herausforderungen für die kaufmännische Bildung, 9–52. Berlin: epubli GmbH. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/‑978‑3‑658‑04883‑9_4
Yang, D., Karimi, H., Kaynak, O., Yin, S. (2021). Developments of digital twin technologies in industrial, smart city and healthcare sectors: a survey. Complex Engineering Systems, 1, 3. doi: https://doi.org/10.20517/ces.2021.06.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Studies of the Industrial Geography Commission of the Polish Geographical Society
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Articles are published under the terms of the Creative Commons License (CC BY-ND 4.0; Attribution– NoDerivs).
