Sakurada, LucasPrieta, Fernando de laLeitão, Paulo2026-03-162026-03-162025Sakurada, Lucas; Prieta, Fernando de la; Leitão, Paulo (2025). Ten years of asset administration shell: developments, research opportunities, and adoption challenges. IEEE Access. ISSN 2169-3536. 13, p. 1277721-127741. DOI: 10.1109/2025.35867162169-3536http://hdl.handle.net/10198/36083Over the past decade, the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) has emerged as a cornerstone of digital transformation in Industry 4.0 (I4.0), providing a standardized approach to managing digital representations of industrial assets. With 2025 marking approximately ten years since its introduction, this article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis and discussion of AAS development over the past decade, potential research opportunities, and the challenges associated with its adoption. To this end, the study combines a literature survey with an examination of specifications from key organizations, such as the Plattform Industrie 4.0 and the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA), which play a central role in the AAS standardization and development. A key insight from this survey is that AAS is progressing toward becoming a game-changer in realizing I4.0. Unlike a decade ago, AAS has now reached a level of maturity that enables its increasing adoption, supported by specifications and standards, dedicated development platforms for its implementation, and several examples in the literature showing a wide range of applications. Additionally, research opportunities for AAS align with emerging industrial trends and contribute to addressing them. However, several challenges must still be addressed to facilitate the widespread adoption of the AAS.engReviewsInteroperabilityIndustriesCollaborationDigital representationStakeholdersMarket researchFourth industrial revolutionSurveysSolid modelingAsset administration shellsCyber-physical systemsIndustry 4.0Reference architecture model industrie 4.0journal article10.1109/2025.3586716