The Interoperability Imperative: A Built Environment Maturity-Barrier Framework for Digital Twin Convergence with BIM and IoT

Abstract: The built environment faces pressure to improve efficiency and sustainability throughout its lifecycle. Digital twins (DT), leveraging BIM, IoT sensor data, and AI, offer significant potential for proactive and intelligent asset management. However, deployment is hindered by the Interoperability Imperative—the need for heterogeneous systems to exchange and interpret data seamlessly. This paper develops a Maturity–Barrier Logic that frames DT evolution as constrained by interoperability-related barriers. It identifies a persistent implementation gap, with applications stagnating at the Digital Shadow and failing to achieve autonomous Cognitive Twins. A diagnostic framework is proposed to support the transition toward federated, system-of-systems DT.