ISO IEC 30173-2023 PDF

Full title and description

St ISO/IEC 30173:2023 — Digital twin — Concepts and terminology. This international standard establishes a common terminology and conceptual framework for "digital twin" (DTw) and describes related concepts such as system context, life‑cycle processes, types of digital twins, a functional view and stakeholders. It is intended to support consistent communication, standards development and interoperability across organisations and sectors.

Abstract

ISO/IEC 30173:2023 defines terms and core concepts for digital twin technology. The document provides definitions of "digital twin" and related concepts, explains the digital twin system context and life‑cycle processes, classifies types of digital twins, presents a functional view and identifies key stakeholders. It is a terminology and conceptual standard intended to be referenced by implementers, architects and other standards work; it does not prescribe specific implementation protocols or detailed technical interfaces.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: November 7, 2023
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) — joint publication (ISO/IEC)
• ICS / categories: 35.020 (Information technology)
• Edition / version: Edition 1.0 (2023)
• Number of pages: 28

Scope

This standard establishes a harmonised set of terms and conceptual descriptions for digital twins applicable across domains and organization types (commercial enterprises, government agencies, not‑for‑profit organisations, etc.). It covers definitions of digital twin and associated concepts (system context, life‑cycle, classification of twin types), a functional view of digital twin systems and identification of stakeholders. The scope is conceptual and terminological: the document supports communication and standards development rather than specifying implementation details, protocols or mandatory technical requirements.

Key topics and requirements

• Standardised definitions for "digital twin" and related vocabulary to reduce ambiguity in communication.
• Conceptual model of digital twin system context (how physical and digital elements relate and interact).
• Life‑cycle description for digital twins (stages and processes across planning, creation, operation, maintenance and retirement).
• Classification of digital twin types (e.g., component, asset, system, process, environment-level twins) and their typical roles.
• Functional view describing major functions and responsibilities within digital twin systems (data ingestion, modelling, analytics, synchronisation, control interfaces, etc.).
• Identification and description of stakeholders and their concerns (owners, operators, integrators, regulators, users, analytics teams).
• Guidance to support use of the terminology in the development of other standards and in cross‑discipline communication; not a prescriptive technical specification.

Typical use and users

ISO/IEC 30173:2023 is used by standards developers, system and solution architects, product managers, IoT and digital‑twin implementers, procurement specialists, researchers and policy makers who require a common vocabulary and conceptual baseline. It is useful when drafting technical specifications, scoping digital twin projects, aligning stakeholders across organisations or sectors, and teaching or documenting foundational concepts.

Related standards

Standards that commonly intersect with ISO/IEC 30173 include ISO/IEC 30141 (Internet of Things — Reference architecture), the ISO 23247 series (Digital twin framework for manufacturing) and other ISO/IEC JTC 1 / SC 41 publications addressing IoT, data models and interoperability. ISO/IEC 30173 provides the terminology and conceptual layer that complements domain or architecture standards specifying reference models, data exchange and implementation practices.

Keywords

digital twin, DTw, terminology, concepts, lifecycle, system context, functional view, stakeholders, interoperability, IoT, reference architecture

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC 30173:2023 is an international standard that defines terms and core concepts for digital twin technology (title: "Digital twin — Concepts and terminology"). It provides a common vocabulary and conceptual framework for use across sectors.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers definitions of digital twin and related terms, the digital twin system context, life‑cycle processes, types/classification of digital twins, a functional view of digital twin systems and identification of stakeholders. It is conceptual and terminological rather than a technical implementation specification.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Standards writers, architects, system integrators, product owners, IoT and digital twin solution teams, researchers and policy makers who need consistent terminology and conceptual agreement when specifying, implementing or regulating digital twin systems.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: This standard was published on November 7, 2023 (Edition 1.0) and is a current, published international standard. It has not been superseded as of March 2, 2026; organisations typically refer to it as the definitional/terminology baseline while using other standards for architecture, data exchange and implementation details.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: ISO/IEC 30173 is a standalone terminology standard but is complementary to other standards and series addressing digital twin frameworks and IoT architecture — for example, the ISO 23247 series for manufacturing digital twins and ISO/IEC 30141 (IoT reference architecture). It is intended to be referenced by related standards and technical specifications.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Digital twin, DTw, terminology, lifecycle, system context, functional view, stakeholders, interoperability, IoT.