The concept of digital twinning has its roots in NASA's Apollo programme in the 1960s and 70s, which used physical and digital models to simulate spacecraft and solve problems remotely, for example during the Apollo 13 mission.
The concept of the 'digital twin' was formalised in the early 2000s by Dr Michael Grieves in collaboration with NASA, focusing on product lifecycle management. In the 2010s, the technology has evolved rapidly thanks to IoT, AI and increased computing power, enabling wider use in industry, urban planning, health and other areas.
