• Joachim Denil, Department Electronics - ICT, University of Antwerp, and Flanders Make, Belgium.
• Hans Vangheluwe, Department of Computer Science, University of Antwerp, and Flanders Make, Belgium.
• Andreas Wortmann, Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units, University of Stuttgart, Germany.

The twinning paradigm has considerable potential to better understand and use cyber-physical systems in automotive, avionics, manufacturing, medicine, and many other domains. Despite the fact that many digital twins are currently developed using software, models, simulators, IoT technologies, etc., the engineering of digital shadows/twins is still mostly ad-hoc and demands integrating different technologies. The patchwork of technologies without clear architectural and deployment guidelines (making trade-offs between accuracy, performance, cost, etc.) effectively hinders the further widespread adoption of digital twins. Furthermore, many contemporary digital twins and frameworks focus only on creating twins for data acquisition and visualization via dashboards. This, despite the many other valuable uses such as condition monitoring, anomaly detection, optimization, ...

Current research on digital twins focuses on specific implementations (bottom-up) or abstract models of how digital twins could be conceived (top-down). However, there is a huge gap between the bottom-up and top-down approaches. Hence, novel Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methods, prominently including simulation are crucial to thoroughly and systematically leverage the potential of the twinning paradigm. In the scope of this workshop, we aim to bring together researchers and practitioners on MBSE and modelling and simulation for digital twins as well as domain experts who have succesfully used twins, to systematically investigate the twinning of cyber-physical systems (CPSs).

This topic includes, but is not limited to,

• investigation of modeling methods and tools for developing digital twins,
• evolution of digital twins in the life-cycle of CPSs,
• validity of models,
• deployment and operation of digital twins,
• using digital twins for sustainable CPS operation,
• architectural patterns for digital twins,
• using digital twins to support continuous integration, deployment, and learning,
• leveraging digital twins for dynamic (re)configuration and optimization, as well case studies and experience reports.

The workshop will be held Monday 20 March - Friday 24 March and begins on Monday at 09:00 at the Institut d’Études Scientifiques de Cargèse, on the beautiful island of Corsica. Participants are expected to arrive on 19 March. During the workshop, we will work in groups on topics discussed and selected on 20 March.

    Sunday    19 March: Arrival, possibly a joint dinner in Cargèse, with those participants who arrive early enough
    Monday    20 March: Introductory talk, participant introductions, decide on topics and divide into groups
    Tuesday   21 March: Tutorials, work in groups
    Wednesday 22 March: Tutorials, presentation of intermediate results; half-day break (with possible joint excursion)
    Thursday  23 March: Tutorials, work in groups, short plenary progress report
    Friday    24 March: Work in groups, presentation and consolidation of results, planning of follow-up activities
    Saturday  25 March: Departure day

For more information, see follow the Schedule link.

You should travel to Ajaccio, which can be reached both by air and by ship. From there, it is a 1 to 1 1/2 hour drive to the institute. We will arrange transport to the institute. More practical information will be made available on this page.

The cost for welcome reception, lodging, breakfast and lunch every day, and one dinner at the institute is around 350Eur for the entire week (to be confirmed). This should be paid on-site to the institute. There is also a registration cost which covers the use of the facilities (auditorium, meeting rooms, transport from/to Ajaccio) which will have to be paid to the organizers (with credit card or via bank transfer) before the workshop. This cost depends on the number of participants, but is expected to be around 300Eur. All dinners except one held at the institute will be at restaurants in and around the village of Cargèse will be at your own expense. Corsica is known for its cheeses, wild boar, liver sausage, fresh fish and seafood, excellent wines and the local digestif myrte. There are also vegetarians options.