The event gathered nearly 90 registrants and featured a lively discussion among representatives from projects such as InterTwin, TerraDT, ClimateDT, DestinE, and DT-GEO. Panelists shared insights into the opportunities and challenges of using Digital Twins to model environmental risks, enhance predictive capabilities, and support decision-making for researchers, environmental agencies, and emergency responders.
One of the key takeaways from the session was the importance of collaboration between Digital Twin initiatives. Each project brings a unique perspective and expertise, and fostering synergies between them can amplify their impact in addressing pressing environmental challenges.
The webinar also engaged the audience through an interactive poll, allowing participants to share their views and shape the discussion. DT-GEO’s contribution highlighted our role in developing Digital Twins for geohazards, emphasizing the need for robust, high-performance computational models to improve risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
Overall, the webinar proved to be an insightful exchange of ideas, showcasing different approaches to Digital Twins in environmental protection. DT-GEO looks forward to continued collaboration with the broader DT community to further advance these technologies for the benefit of society.
Connecting with Other Digital Twin Initiatives
The power of Digital Twins lies in collaboration and interoperability. Various projects, including BioDT, InterTwin, and TerraDT, exemplify this through active engagement, fostering a rich ecosystem of shared knowledge and resources. Here’s how these initiatives connect:
The Biodiversity Digital Twin (BioDT) project is at the forefront of innovation, offering advanced simulation and prediction models to tackle critical global biodiversity challenges. This cutting-edge project is designed to address complex biodiversity dynamics through practical use cases, providing invaluable insights and tools for conservation and restoration efforts. BioDT harnesses the immense computational power of the LUMI Supercomputer, one of the fastest and most powerful computing systems in the world. By integrating FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles with state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, predictive modelling, and AI solutions, BioDT facilitates the development of precise and reliable models. These models are crucial for creating evidence-based strategies aimed at preserving and restoring biodiversity on a global scale.
InterTwin presents an interdisciplinary engine for digital twins across sectors, aiming to create a seamless operation and communication framework. While BioDT has technical synergies with DT-GEO and DTO-BioFlow, InterTwin’s mission to enhance interoperability aligns with the broader goal of breaking down silos between different domains. By fostering a universal terminology across digital twins, it contributes to an integrated and cross-domain DT ecosystem in Europe.
TerraDT is linked to the Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative, which creates advanced Digital Twins of the Earth, TerraDT enhances the modelling of the Earth system to better understand and predict climate change.
The Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin (Climate DT), delivered by ECMWF, is the first attempt to operationalise multi-decadal climate projections at fine resolution (5km to 10km) providing earth-system and impact sector information at the spatial and temporal scales where the impacts of climate change are felt.
The Climate DT will produce updated climate system projections for the decades ahead every year, whereas current climate projections are updated every several years. These updated climate projections will serve to investigate the impact of policy decisions or unprecedented events through dedicated bespoke simulations.
