NDTp Editorial July 2021 – Expanding the DT Hub 

It’s really rewarding to see the sustained growth we have managed to achieve over the past year. Every day when I log in to the DT Hub there is a new post, additional members, or an enquiry from a different part of the world. It’s exciting to think of the potential – if we have got to this point in just 12 months, then hopefully, in the near future, we will have hundreds of people logging on every day, from different sectors around the world, together furthering our understanding of connected digital twins. 

A multi-sectoral centre  

We believe the DT Hub is uniquely placed to bring together the best thinking and best ideas from all sectors, and people from all levels within those sectors, to discuss connected digital twins. With that goal in mind, we are broadening the Hub from focusing solely on the built environment into other sectors, starting with manufacturing, energy and defence.  

Although digital twins vary across sectors there is a huge amount we can learn from one another. For example, there is a lot of activity in the application of digital twins in advanced manufacturing. Although the replication of aircraft engines is a very different beast to the built environment, there is knowledge they have accumulated that lends itself to the built environment and vice versa. There will inevitably be conversations that are sector specific, but as facilitators we will ensure that we find similarities or useful learnings that can be shared. 

To make it easier to contribute to the conversation and share information, we will be refreshing the DT Hub website in tandem with our expansion. We want to improve the useability of the platform to make it more conducive to discussion.  

The next step is for people to then add to that discussion! We’ve already seen some interesting threads, but would like to encourage others to jump in. Real value and progress comes from a broad spectrum of perspectives and we really appreciate any question, insight or piece of feedback.  

An international centre  

Not only do we want the DT Hub to be the home of digital twins across sectors, but across borders too. The progress we’ve made gives us a great opportunity to lead internationally and become a central Hub for others to gather. There is already a lot of exploratory work going on in countries such as Australia and New Zealand who have been looking to the DT Hub as a template to build their own communities of interested people.  

The DT Hub can then act as host to these different communities and drive progress through our combined passion to see knowledge and learning shared in an inclusive way.   

DT Hub to host Cyber-Physical Fabric Summit  

An important event on our calendar that I want to flag is the Cyber-Physical Fabric Summit on 19 July 2021 from 10:00 – 16:00. This online summit will explore the power of federated digital twins and cyber-physical infrastructure at a national scale, and is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering, BEIS, UKRI, GoScience, Alan Turing Institute, Centre for Digital Built Britain and Robotics Growth Partnership.  

The day will start with an introduction laying out the opportunities and challenges we face as a nation and as a planet. This will be followed by 4 expert-led panels, each with a Q&A session. The first is chaired by Paul Clarke CBE on the cyber physical fabric; followed by a panel on data and technical interoperability chaired by Professor Dame Wendy Hall; after lunch, Professor David Lane CBE will chair a panel on research; followed by a panel on adoption chaired by Mark Enzer OBE . The four panel chairs will convene a final plenary session. 

To register for this event, please follow this link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/158710951729  

We hope to see you there!