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AAS Plat­form for Digital Twins: Industry-Wide Twin Access

WHAT WE
MADE HAPPEN

Twin­sphere is a scal­able, stan­dards-based Soft­ware-as-a-Service (SaaS) plat­form devel­oped by members of the OI4 Work­group “Compo­nent Supplier” to enable the secure creation, manage­ment, and utiliza­tion of Digital Twins. Built on the Asset Admin­is­tra­tion Shell (AAS) stan­dard, Twin­sphere provides key digital capa­bil­i­ties including support for the Digital Product Pass­port, seam­less data exchange, VDI 2770-compliant docu­ment transfer, and inte­gra­tion into ERP, MES, and other third-party systems.

Rather than solving the problem in isola­tion, the Work­group pooled resources and exper­tise from several member compa­nies to create a solu­tion that is both industry-wide and imple­men­ta­tion-ready. The result is a modular, cloud-based plat­form that simpli­fies the deploy­ment of digital twins while ensuring inter­op­er­ability and regu­la­tory compli­ance.

Through this collab­o­ra­tion, medium-sized manu­fac­turers can now access digital services that were previ­ously out of reach. Twin­sphere turns complexity into clarity, enabling scal­able digital twin roll­outs across supply chains, produc­tion networks, and customer-facing portals.

The Four Key Use Cases of Twin­sphere 

Digital Product Pass­port as a Service

A ready-to-use SaaS plat­form for creating Digital Twins, reporting the Product Carbon Foot­print (PCF), and preparing for the EU’s Digital Product Pass­port — all aligned with IDTA meta­models and ECLASS clas­si­fi­ca­tion, and acces­sible via a stan­dard­ized API.

Docu­ment Transfer According to VDI 2770

Effort­less creation and exchange of VDI 2770-compliant docu­ment containers using the inte­grated adapter and PDF/A converter. Ensures smooth handover to plat­forms like Sharecat and full compli­ance with DDCC require­ments.

Admin­is­tra­tion Shells in Third-Party Systems

Host and manage AAS data in a secure, scal­able envi­ron­ment with stan­dard­ized APIs and inter­ac­tive tools such as the Twin­sphere AAS Viewer. Easily inte­grate into existing systems and enable QR-based user access.

Seam­less Value Chain Commu­ni­ca­tion

Provide up-to-date product infor­ma­tion and digital name­plates across the supply chain. Notify stake­holders via Messaging and Push Services when new versions, manuals, or digital twins become avail­able.

THE CHAL­LENGE
WE SOLVED

Indus­trial manu­fac­turers today operate under growing pres­sure. Supply chains are fragile. Regu­la­tory demands are increasing. Customers expect connected services and real-time insights. Inter­nally, compa­nies must manage highly complex product data: from spec­i­fi­ca­tions and mate­rials to firmware, docu­men­ta­tion, and CO₂ emis­sions.

Twin­sphere addresses all of this with one plat­form. By stan­dard­izing access to product and asset data, it closes the gap between engi­neering, produc­tion, and service. And by lever­aging the AAS, Twin­sphere ensures that data flows securely and consis­tently across the entire life­cycle of a product, from initial design to end-of-life.

Twin­sphere provides:

  • A full SaaS plat­form based on the AAS
  • Compli­ance with IDTA stan­dards and meta­models
  • Support for all major AAS APIs and submodels
  • Registry, discovery, and repos­i­tory services
  • Soft­ware Devel­op­ment Kit (SDK)
  • Inte­grated secu­rity and access manage­ment
  • Scal­able cloud infra­struc­ture (Microsoft Azure)
  • Optional QR/NFC-based access for end users
  • Inter­ac­tive AAS Viewer for asset navi­ga­tion

Supported submodels include:

  • Digital Name­plate (02006)
  • Handover Docu­men­ta­tion (02004)
  • Tech­nical Data (02003)
  • Time Series (02008)
  • Contact Infor­ma­tion (02002)
  • Hier­ar­chical Struc­tures / BoM (02011)
  • Carbon Foot­print (02023)

THE TEAM
THAT DELIV­ERED

WHY THE RESULTS
MATTER (AND FOR WHOM)

Twin­sphere trans­forms how compa­nies manage and share product-related data. Built on the Asset Admin­is­tra­tion Shell (AAS), the plat­form enables manu­fac­turers, suppliers, and customers to interact through a shared digital infra­struc­ture, without the need for propri­etary inte­gra­tions or isolated IT systems.

It ensures that the right data reaches the right stake­holder at the right time. Whether for regu­la­tory reporting, product config­u­ra­tion, life­cycle docu­men­ta­tion, or after-sales service, Twin­sphere provides reli­able access to asset data across the entire value chain. This opens up new possi­bil­i­ties for busi­ness models such as predic­tive main­te­nance, Product Carbon Foot­print (PCF) tracking, and the imple­men­ta­tion of the Digital Product Pass­port (DPP).

Medium-sized enter­prises, in partic­ular, benefit from the platform’s scal­able archi­tec­ture. It brings digital capa­bil­i­ties that were previ­ously acces­sible only to larger corpo­ra­tions into reach enabling real-time updates, push noti­fi­ca­tions, and secure access to multi­lin­gual, up-to-date digital twins.

PROJECT
ROADMAP

BETTER
TOGETHER

What makes Twin­sphere stand out is how it was created. Rather than being devel­oped by a single vendor, the solu­tion emerged from collab­o­ra­tion within the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance (OI4). The Compo­nent Supplier Work­group brought together member compa­nies with different require­ments and perspec­tives to design a plat­form that reflects real-world indus­trial needs.

This spirit of collab­o­ra­tion ensures that Twin­sphere is not just tech­ni­cally robust but also broadly applic­able. It embodies the core mission of OI4: to trans­form complexity into modular, inter­op­er­able solu­tions that can be applied across indus­tries. Other members are invited to join this work: to contribute, benefit, and shape what comes next.

Twin­sphere is more than a tech­nical tool. It is a commu­nity achieve­ment that helps industry players move beyond theory and into scal­able, stan­dards-based imple­men­ta­tion.

INSIGHTS
AND Q&A

Why is VDI 2770 impor­tant for docu­ment manage­ment?

VDI 2770 estab­lishes a stan­dard­ized approach for struc­turing and exchanging digital docu­men­ta­tion, ensuring consis­tency and acces­si­bility across indus­tries. By providing machine-read­able, struc­tured formats, it stream­lines docu­ment handling, reduces manual effort, and enhances compli­ance with regu­la­tory and industry require­ments. Compa­nies can effi­ciently manage and distribute tech­nical docu­men­ta­tion, making infor­ma­tion readily avail­able for suppliers, customers, and regu­la­tory bodies.

How does the Digital Product Pass­port (DPP) impact busi­nesses?

The Digital Product Pass­port (DPP) enhances trans­parency by providing compre­hen­sive, stan­dard­ized product data throughout the entire life­cycle. It supports regu­la­tory compli­ance by ensuring that compa­nies can track and report key sustain­ability and tech­nical infor­ma­tion, such as carbon foot­print or mate­rial compo­si­tion. DPP also improves supply chain effi­ciency by enabling seam­less data sharing between manu­fac­turers, suppliers, and end users, ulti­mately fostering circular economy prac­tices and sustain­able produc­tion.

Why is inter­op­er­ability crucial in digital ecosys­tems?

Inter­op­er­ability ensures seam­less inte­gra­tion between different digital systems, reducing complexity and enabling effi­cient data exchange. Stan­dard­ized APIs, admin­is­tra­tion shells, and event-driven archi­tec­tures allow various plat­forms to commu­ni­cate without requiring exten­sive customiza­tion. This facil­i­tates automa­tion, enhances collab­o­ra­tion across indus­tries, and supports emerging digital use cases like Digital Twins and smart manu­fac­turing. By fostering a connected digital land­scape, inter­op­er­ability drives inno­va­tion, cost savings, and oper­a­tional effi­ciency.