Data Spaces Enabling City Digital Twins
Digital Twins, which provide a virtual replica of a product, a service or even a process, are increasingly being developed to feel the pulse of a city in real-time, by providing a virtual 3D replica of the objects that comprise the urban fabric (terrain, buildings, streets, vegetation) and by simulating the complex socioeconomic processes in the city, to test various strategies and to maximize sustainability.
Artificial Intelligence, advanced analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT) have added a new dimension to the City Digital Twin concept. However, the implementation of Digital Twin technology requires the meaningful integration of a huge volume of high-value data, including public, business and citizens data on key activities such as urban infrastructure and air cleanliness, mobility, construction, energy efficiency, etc and its sharing in a City Data Space as a main prerequisite.
“Big Data for Smart Society – GATE” is the first dedicated Centre of Excellence in Eastern Europe that provides for scientific excellence in Big Data and AI. GATE aims to be a globally competitive Digital Hub for Big Data and AI Innovations in Future Cities, Digital Health, Intelligent Government and Smart Industry. The Centre is established by Sofia University “St Kliment Ohridski”, in partnership with Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technologies and Chalmers Industrial Technologies.
GATE is the Bulgarian IDSA Hub Facilitator and the catalyst of national endeavour towards Data usage and Data sharing in industrial and city domains. It is also a driver for community engagement of businesses and city administrations and an enabler for incubation and acceleration of innovations based on data sharing and utilization at the national and regional level.
The goal of the session is to is to present the collaborative work of GATE and its partners on creating a Data Space as an enabler of City Digital Twin and to explore open issues related for example to the integration of data, metadata and domain knowledge.
We hope to trigger an interesting discussion on how effective data integration can push forward Digital Twin modelling, simulation, analysis, and visualization in variety of urban use cases, to enable better use of resources and fewer emissions but also to provide for sustainability through construction optimization, smarter urban transport, modernized water and waste treatment facilities and more efficient ways to use energy in buildings.
