Imagine an industry 4.0 Factory where a customer has just ordered his personalized, drone in a webshop. The order that is placed is immediately picked up by the software
system in the factory, components are 3D printed, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) transport components and products throughout the factory and the product is assembled and delivered to a distribution center: all automatically! One can imagine that developing such an industry 4.0 factory is a challenging task. Typically, hardware and software are
developed sequentially. Then, extensive prototype testing and bug fixing is essential to achieve a robust solution. The development of such an industry 4.0 factory is not only a lengthy, but also a highly expensive process.

What if hardware and software development could be parallel processes, due to automatic software coding on the basis of the functional design? And what if testing a virtual simulation of the digital twin of the entire factory can eliminate the time-consuming and costly physical testing process? The transition from conventional manufacturing towards industry 4.0 factories would not only be accelerated, but also far more profitable. Furthermore, by running such a digital twin parallel to the physical factory, maintenance becomes predictable. In a later stage, technical modifications and factory updates can be virtually tested for a risk-free implementation in the running factory.