Applications of Digital Twins (DT) and Internet of Things (IoT) in the Supply Chain: The Case of Food Industry

Nowadays, supply chains need to be more flexible and innovative due to the rapid development of technology, along with growing demands for high-quality products and more efficient services. The use of advanced automation technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Twins (DT), is the key to accomplishing these objectives. In particular, the food industry is gradually implementing these tools, and with it comes its prompt evolution. However, the extent and approach of this integration remain unclear. This research aims to elucidate the aforementioned issues through two main parts. First, a comprehensive review of the existing literature documented both the inadequacies of the global supply chain and the potential benefits of Digital Twins (DT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in its operational processes. The second part of the study focused on assessing the level of automation in the Greek Food Industry using a questionnaire. The results were subjected to statistical analysis and compared with findings from similar studies on the European Food Industry. Ultimately, the study aimed to highlight the role of automation technologies in addressing the operational challenges of the supply chain and the optimization of the production processes in the Greek Food Industry.