Survey Maps How Complex Networks Are Visualized in Industrial Manufacturing

Researchers have published a systematic survey of how complex networks are visualized and visually analyzed in the context of industrial manufacturing and production. The review, appearing in Applied Network Science as an open-access article, was written by Shailesh Tripathi, Bernhard Fröhler, Herbert Jodlbauer and Christoph Heinzl, and was published on 25 September 2026.

According to the abstract, the survey provides a description and categorization of the types of networks that arise in studies of industrial manufacturing and production problems. Rather than focusing on a single application, the authors set out to organize the field, identifying which network structures appear in this domain and how they are constructed for later visual exploration.

A central part of the work concerns the concepts used to reveal structural properties of these networks. The authors investigate which approaches make it possible to explore information relevant to industrial manufacturing and production, going beyond the plain depiction of nodes and edges. The survey explicitly includes key topological characteristics, measures, and comparative analysis methods as part of the toolkit it describes.

The review also addresses who the visualizations are for. The authors discuss the requirements for visualizing complex networks in this domain so that industrial knowledge is represented meaningfully for different users.

Immersive visualization receives particular attention. The authors note that this area has grown in importance in recent years and offers a wide range of opportunities.

On the algorithmic side, the survey presents a categorization into three types of layout algorithms. According to the abstract, these are intended to allow intuitive and systematic visualization of complex and large networks, and they enable fast optimization of the coordinates of network vertices. The categorization is presented as a way of bringing order to how large industrial networks can be laid out on screen or in immersive spaces.

Taken together, the paper describes the types of networks found in industrial manufacturing and production, how those networks are constructed, and how they can be visually explored in terms of their structural properties using both conventional and immersive visualization techniques. The survey is a review of existing work in the field rather than a report of new experimental results, and its contribution lies in this organization and categorization of the domain.

It is worth noting that the article is currently being shared in an early-access form. The publisher states that the version is peer-reviewed and accepted, citable, and carries a permanent DOI, but that it is subject to further edits and will be replaced automatically by the final Version of Record. Readers consulting the paper before the final version appears should therefore expect minor changes in the published text.

Subject of Research: Visualization and visual analysis of complex networks in industrial manufacturing and production

Article Title: A systematic survey on complex network visualization in industrial manufacturing and production

Article References: Tripathi, S., Fröhler, B., Jodlbauer, H., & Heinzl, C. (2026). A systematic survey on complex network visualization in industrial manufacturing and production. Applied Network Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41109-026-00834-y

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s41109-026-00834-y

Keywords: complex networks, network visualization, industrial manufacturing, production, visual analytics, immersive visualization, layout algorithms, topological measures, reality-virtuality continuum, systematic survey, Applied Network Science, systematic