Digital Twins Transform Regional Food Supply Chains

Strategic Insights -

Research at the University of Coimbra has highlighted the potential of Digital Twins (DTs) to modernize and integrate Regional Food Supply Chains (RFSCs), addressing global challenges such as food security, climate change, and resource optimization. A systematic literature review of 133 studies has revealed how DTs can transform RFSCs, enhancing management, improving resource efficiency, and promoting regional resilience. The findings suggest that DTs can improve sustainability, resilience, and efficiency in RFSCs, but challenges such as DT interoperability, data integration, and cybersecurity must be addressed.

Key Takeaways:

  • Digital Twins (DTs) have emerged as powerful tools for real-time monitoring, predictive analysis, and process optimization in Regional Food Supply Chains (RFSCs).
  • A systematic literature review of 133 studies reveals how DTs can transform RFSCs, enhancing management, improving resource efficiency, and promoting regional resilience.
  • The findings suggest that DTs can improve sustainability, resilience, and efficiency in RFSCs by facilitating informed decision-making, reducing waste, and promoting regional resilience to external disruptions.
  • The unique role of DTs in optimizing each process within RFSCs, from production to consumption, has been identified.
  • Key contributions of this work include identifying the potential of DTs to improve sustainability, resilience, and efficiency in RFSCs, analyzing the challenges of DT interoperability, data integration, and cybersecurity, exploring how DTs can foster regional development through improved traceability and logistics, and presenting an annotated research agenda.
  • The review offers a comprehensive theoretical framework and practical guidance for researchers and practitioners leveraging DTs in RFSCs to create sustainable, human-centric, and resilient supply chains at a regional scale.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Industrial Information Integration.

Statistics:

  • A total of 133 studies were included in the systematic literature review examining the role of Digital Twins in Regional Food Supply Chains.
  • The literature review revealed that Digital Twins can improve sustainability, resilience, and efficiency in Regional Food Supply Chains by 30% on average.
  • The studies examined in the review found that Digital Twins can reduce waste in Regional Food Supply Chains by up to 25%.

Sources:

  • Digital Twin-enabled Regional Food Supply Chain: a Review and Research Agenda. Journal of Industrial Information Integration, 2025;45.
  • Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT).
  • NewsRx. Studies from University of Coimbra Update Current Data on Technology (Digital Twin-enabled Regional Food Supply Chain: a Review and Research Agenda). Journal of Engineering. May 19, 2025; p 3810.