Published on: January 1, 2025 / Update from: January 1, 2025 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Companies are looking for ways to establish themselves in digital worlds - Digital Transformation with AI and Industrial Metaverse - Image: Xpert.Digital
From production to innovation: companies use digital technologies for efficiency and growth
The importance of the Industrial Metaverse and the role of AI
The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in business development is continually growing in importance, especially when it comes to designing an industrial metaverse. Companies are looking for ways to establish themselves in digital worlds in order to open up new business models and make their own production and value chains more efficient. The Industrial Metaverse combines the potential of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), big data and AI to intelligently link real and virtual worlds. The following describes in detail how AI helps to open up innovative business opportunities in an industrial metaverse in order to create sustainable competitive advantages and further advance digital transformation in industry and business.
What is meant by an industrial metaverse?
“The concept of an industrial metaverse could revolutionize our understanding of factories and production processes,” is what is being said more and more frequently in relevant expert circles. But what exactly does that mean? While the term “Metaverse” is often associated with virtual 3D worlds, which have gained a foothold primarily in the gaming industry, in an industrial context it is primarily about creating digital images of real processes that enable seamless interaction between people , machine and digital applications. The aim is to transfer a company's production and development to a virtual environment in order to create forecasts, carry out simulations and test new strategies regardless of time and location. AI acts as a key technology because it supports companies in evaluating large amounts of data and improves decision-making processes in real time.
Digital twins as central building blocks of the Industrial Metaverse
“We already work in digital twins before we create the first physical prototype”: These are the words some innovation departments use to describe their approach. A digital twin, often referred to as a “digital twin”, is a virtual replica of a real system, such as a production system, a machine or an entire factory complex. Using sensor data and other information, this image is kept up to date in real time. AI not only evaluates historical data, but also makes predictions about how a machine might behave under certain circumstances. This makes it possible to identify problems early and plan maintenance work better. In the context of an industrial metaverse, a digital twin can be imagined as one of many building blocks that together create a comprehensive and interactive image of all company processes.
AI as a catalyst for new business developments
As part of business development, AI enables the identification of new business areas and potential. Traditionally, developing new products or services has often been a lengthy process in which data is taken into account but not analyzed to the same extent as in an AI-powered environment. Thanks to machine learning and advanced algorithms, large amounts of data can now be evaluated faster and more precisely. “Data is the new oil” is aptly said – and AI is the engine that converts this oil into usable energy for decision-making. Companies can recognize patterns and connections that indicate new markets or customer segments and thus adapt their offerings more quickly to changing needs.
Predictive Maintenance: Predictive maintenance through AI and Industrial Metaverse
In an industrial context, predictive maintenance also plays a central role. Predictive maintenance, as it is called internationally, is based on the analysis of sensor data, production information and other process data. AI algorithms predict when and why a machine might fail. By reducing downtimes and optimally planning maintenance intervals, not only costs but also production downtimes are reduced. This interaction of predictive maintenance and ongoing process optimization is further refined in the Metaverse: Machine operators can simulate failures in digital space and practice solutions before an actual problem occurs. “The fusion of theory and practice in real time forms the core of an industrial metaverse,” emphasize many innovation leaders in the manufacturing sector.
Training and further education in the digital space
Another important aspect is the training and further education of employees. In an industrial metaverse, for example, new employees can be virtually introduced to production processes before they are actually in the hall. In this way, potential sources of danger can be identified and courses of action can be trained without wasting resources or risking real errors. “Augmented reality helps us reduce the training effort and make learning processes more clear,” explain senior engineers who already work with such solutions. AI-supported systems also help to analyze individual learning progress and create personalized training plans.
Remote Support in the Industrial Metaverse
In addition to training and further education, the Industrial Metaverse contributes to so-called remote support. Specialists can be connected to virtual environments in real time to support colleagues on site with complex maintenance or repair work. This is often done using AR glasses or other wearables that display real-time information. “The combination of AI, AR and industrial practice will be a game changer in the service sector,” say industry experts. Thanks to AI, relevant data and instructions can be tailored to the current task. This not only speeds up problem solving, but also relieves the burden on specialists as they can concentrate on what is important while the AI provides background information.
Supply chain optimization through AI
There is further added value in the area of supply chains (supply chain management). Global supply chains are often extremely complex and prone to disruption. AI-based applications can help monitor the flow of goods and respond to bottlenecks in a timely manner. “In an industrial metaverse, it would be conceivable that all actors, i.e. suppliers, manufacturers, logistics service providers and customers, operate in a common virtual environment,” some visionaries suggest. This would make it possible to accelerate planning processes and carry out intelligent simulations of supply chains in real time. When problems arise, AI can suggest solutions by combining historical data, real-time information and forecasts.
Data security and the role of AI
An important focus when building an industrial metaverse is in the area of data security. Companies that immerse themselves in virtual worlds must generate and process enormous amounts of data. This inevitably raises the question: How can we ensure that sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands? AI can take on an important control and protection function here. For example, anomaly detection algorithms can be used to respond to suspicious activity on networks. “Data security is the foundation for the successful and sustainable use of AI in an industrial metaverse,” warn IT security experts again and again. Successful integration of AI into this digital environment also requires a sophisticated security concept that includes both technical and organizational measures.
Technological expertise and holistic approaches for implementation
Despite this much potential, building an industrial metaverse is not without challenges. In addition to technological expertise, implementation also requires a clear mission statement and a corresponding willingness to invest. Companies must consider what added value they are specifically striving for and which areas are particularly suitable for entry into Metaverse technology. “A holistic approach is crucial in order not to get stuck in isolated solutions,” is a common recommendation from management consultants. In addition, close collaboration between specialist departments, IT, management and external partners is often required in order to make the complexity manageable.
Clarification of ethical and legal questions
At the same time, ethical and legal questions need to be clarified. If trained incorrectly or one-sidedly, AI can lead to distortions and unequal treatment. “Algorithms should always be thought of in a human-centered way” is one of the guiding principles that is becoming increasingly established in the industry. This means that AI not only solves purely mathematical problems, but that the solution should be designed in such a way that it does not ignore social, cultural and labor law aspects. Similar considerations apply to virtual space: What will employment contracts look like if a large part of the activities take place in a virtual environment? How do you regulate responsibility and data protection when working together across borders?
Building a collaboration space in the Industrial Metaverse
The Industrial Metaverse will ultimately be a cooperation space in which companies, research institutions and authorities work together on new standards. This is the only way to create compatible interfaces and technologies that enable seamless interaction in virtual space. “Open platforms and shared standards are the key to a metaverse that is more than just a playground for individual pilot projects,” emphasize industry leaders. AI can not only act as a catalyst here, but also as a mediator by harmonizing different data formats and systems.
The next steps in the evolution of the Industrial Metaverse
But what could the next step look like? Initially, even more companies will set out to transfer existing processes to the digital space. In concrete terms, this means that individual use cases, for example in predictive maintenance or quality management, are tested and gradually rolled out on a larger scale. “Evolution will occur gradually,” experts predict. Later, however, when the first standards have been established and the technology reaches a level of maturity, the industrial metaverse may become as commonplace as the use of e-commerce platforms today.
New Opportunities: Business Development in the Industrial Metaverse
Business development in this context means identifying new potential markets, products and services at an early stage and consistently developing them. This not only affects classic production companies, but also companies that specialize in software, engineering or consulting. For example, consulting services in the area of process optimization could be relocated to the virtual environment in real time. Service providers could be paid to carry out simulations and present companies with recommendations for action in the Metaverse environment. “The world of work will not only change in detail, but also structurally,” is a widespread assumption.
Cooperation models and alliances as the key to success
At the same time, new financing and cooperation models can emerge. Start-ups that focus on AI and metaverse solutions are becoming sought-after partners for established corporations. These partnerships can lead to mutual benefits: While large companies benefit from innovative solutions, young companies gain access to important market players and financial support. This also accelerates the speed of innovation. “Only those who forge the right alliances today will be successful in the metaverse tomorrow,” emphasize experienced managers in the tech industry.
AI as a supporting pillar for the Industrial Metaverse
A coherent picture emerges from all of these aspects: AI is the “intelligent engine” of the industrial metaverse because it brings together data from different sources, analyzes it in real time and generates recommendations for action for the real and virtual world. This new form of business development not only enables more efficient and resilient processes, but also opens the door to completely new business models that would not have been conceivable in classic structures. Companies that are now deeply involved in AI and building their own industrial metaverse are laying the foundation for their future competitiveness.
“We are creating a world in which the boundaries between digital and real are becoming increasingly blurred,” say many market designers. And it is precisely here that it becomes clear that it is not just about technology, but also about a profound rethinking in organizations. Management must be prepared to operate in multiple realities and provide employees with the tools and skills that are essential in the digital age. This is how an industrial metaverse is emerging step by step, which is much more than a short-lived trend: it can become the new standard against which future generations of industrial companies measure themselves. AI will be the supporting pillar, without which the vision of an industrial metaverse hardly seems feasible.
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