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Open research questions in Digital Transformation in Industry

287 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,234 Digital Transformation in Industry papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • the system was tested in a controlled environment without simulating extreme network or PLC load, - a load test has not yet been conducted, - MES-level integration is considered a potential direction for future system expansion

    Development of an Online Digital Twin for Real-Time Monitoring of Manufacturing Processes Using OPC UA · 2026 · DOI

  • conducting load tests to identify system response thresholds, - testing future scenarios with variable communication and computational load, - exploring MES-level integration

    Development of an Online Digital Twin for Real-Time Monitoring of Manufacturing Processes Using OPC UA · 2026 · DOI

  • Information asymmetry between firms and their external creditors exacerbates financing constraints. Principal-agent problems further incentivize external creditors to demand higher risk premiums on their investments. The study must control for extraneous factors that may influence breakthrough innovation.

    How Does the Peer Effect of Digital Transformation Promote Breakthrough Innovation? · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies the challenge of integrating digital technologies in micro-scale, resource-constrained upcycling businesses. The study highlights the complexity of digital tools, which can be initially intimidating for artisans. The study notes the importance of addressing the research gap in understanding how micro-scale upcycling craft businesses implement digital technologies.

    Driving Sustainable Innovation through Digital Transformation: A Behavioural Model of the Upcycling Craft Industry in Indonesia · 2026 · DOI

  • the study focused on micro-scale upcycling craft businesses in Indonesia, - the sample size was limited to 30 entrepreneurs, - the study used a mixed-methods approach which may have limitations in terms of generalizability

    Driving Sustainable Innovation through Digital Transformation: A Behavioural Model of the Upcycling Craft Industry in Indonesia · 2026 · DOI

  • Poor interoperability among industrial robots from different brands due to significant differences in control logic, programming languages, and communication protocols. Low standardization levels, making it difficult for enterprises to achieve unified management and deployment. Lack of capabilities for remote control and real-time status monitoring in conventional systems.

    Construction and Validation of a Digital Twin-Driven Virtual-Reality Fusion Control Platform for Industrial Robots · 2025 · DOI

  • Assessing current developments and outlining future directions for DT technology in PMSMs - Evaluating the feasibility of DTs for real-time simulation, fault detection, and predictive maintenance

    Towards Digital Twin Modeling and Applications for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors · 2025 · DOI

  • The lack of standardized frameworks for Digital Twin technology in electric motors. The limited application of DT technology in electric motors, especially PMSMs. The need for efficient and accurate modeling approaches for PMSMs.

    Towards Digital Twin Modeling and Applications for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors · 2025 · DOI

  • The current research on the impact of digital governance on health is only at the theoretical level and lacks empirical evidence. There is a need to study the impact of digital governance on health in the context of the accelerating global evolution of digital governance.

    The impact of digital governance on the health of rural residents: the mediating role of governance efficiency and access to information · 2024 · DOI

  • The gap is the lack of understanding of the holistic approach necessary to optimize organizational operations. The study aims to address this gap by exploring the effective application of various elements in optimizing organizational operations.

    Machine Learning (ML) Modeling, IoT, and Optimizing Organizational Operations through Integrated Strategies: The Role of Technology and Human Resource Management · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of roadmaps that integrate sustainability into the digital transformation process for SMEs. The absence of a comprehensive approach to guide SMEs through the digitization process. The need for a maturity model that evaluates digital maturity and facilitates gradual implementation in alignment with strategic objectives.

    Developing a Sustainable Digital Transformation Roadmap for SMEs: Integrating Digital Maturity and Strategic Alignment · 2024 · DOI

  • The study identifies the complexity of integration challenges sustainably without negatively impacting organizational performance. The study highlights the need to overcome short-term management objectives. The study notes that the adoption of new tools and technologies goes beyond the limits of the industries involved, requiring society to be involved from the initial stages.

    Industry 4.0 and Sustainability Integration in the Supply Chains of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through People, Process, and Technology within the Triple Bottom Line Perspective · 2024 · DOI

  • further research is needed to validate the S-I4.0 framework, - future studies can explore the application of the S-I4.0 framework in different industries, - future research can investigate the impact of Industry 4.0 and sustainability on MSMEs' supply chains

    Industry 4.0 and Sustainability Integration in the Supply Chains of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through People, Process, and Technology within the Triple Bottom Line Perspective · 2024 · DOI

  • social impacts will not be considered in this literature review, - the literature review is limited to English and German publications, - the literature review excludes scientific categories such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, and social sciences

    Digitalisation of Manufacturing Systems: A Literature Review of Approaches to Assess the Sustainability of Digitalisation Technologies in Production Systems · 2024 · DOI

  • There is a lack of assessment methods that consistently link the economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. There is a lack of guidance for the application of assessment methods in production. The assessment of efforts and their benefits is in its infancy.

    Digitalisation of Manufacturing Systems: A Literature Review of Approaches to Assess the Sustainability of Digitalisation Technologies in Production Systems · 2024 · DOI

  • technical challenges associated with sustainable power systems - integrating advanced digital technologies such as Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence - overcoming the lack of seamless integration and real-time, two-way communication in DTs

    Leveraging the Synergy of Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Power Grids: A Scoping Review · 2024 · DOI

  • Investigation of more direct efforts on sustainable power systems - Encouraging the investigation of more sophisticated AI techniques in computer vision, natural language processing, and smart robotics

    Leveraging the Synergy of Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Power Grids: A Scoping Review · 2024 · DOI

  • Practical implications Managers should prioritize investments in human expertise and organizational interfaces, as technical connectivity alone is insufficient to sustain advanced IoT-based service models in digital transformation.

    Toward advanced IoT-based services in manufacturing: how resource interfaces are changed in digital transformation · 2026 · DOI

  • The study addresses a persistent gap in the literature on digital transformation in emerging economies, where standardised instruments for measuring digitalisation outcomes at the perception level remain scarce.

    COMPOSITE DIGITAL KNOWLEDGE INDEX AS A MEASUREMENT TOOL FOR BUSINESS PROCESS DIGITALIZATION: EVIDENCE FROM UZBEKISTAN · 2026 · DOI

  • By contrast, market demand shows a negative direct association at low and intermediate thresholds, suggesting that external demand may create resource‐diversion pressures when internal capabilities are insufficient.

    Digital Transformation and Environmental Sustainability in SMES: A Contingency Analysis of Organisational Capabilities and Market Demand · 2026 · DOI

  • , how firms’ digital transformation efforts influence one another—and its implications for breakthrough innovation remain underexplored.

    How Does the Peer Effect of Digital Transformation Promote Breakthrough Innovation? · 2026 · DOI

  • Originality/value This research bridges gaps in understanding the collaborative driving mechanism linking organizational readiness, technological conditions, standardization structures, data-service environments, and digital twin innovation in construction.

    From custom development to collaborative sharing: exploring the collaborative driving mechanism for digital twin innovation in construction projects · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant potential for heavy machinery manufacturing, yet adoption in this safety–critical and highly customized industry remains limited and insufficiently understood.

    Enablers and barriers to AI adoption: evidence from the heavy machinery industry · 2026 · DOI

  • By focusing on heavy machinery manufacturing, this study extends AI adoption research to an underexplored industrial context and clarifies how enablers and barriers shape AI adoption pathways.

    Enablers and barriers to AI adoption: evidence from the heavy machinery industry · 2026 · DOI

  • Although clean energy and smart city initiatives have been prioritized to address these challenges, the effective integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into clean transportation systems (CTS) remains insufficiently understood.

    Applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in clean transportation: an in-depth bibliometric analysis · 2026 · DOI

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287 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,234 Digital Transformation in Industry papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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