In order to provide Public Good, the purpose of an ecosystem of connected digital twins needs to be guided by values [3]. Being outcomes focused ensures that the benefits are central to a digital twin, and avoids the twin simply being a repository of data without influence. Others have called for [4] infrastructure that is people-focused and systems-based – recognising infrastructure as a complex, interconnected system of systems that must deliver continuous service to society.

Mechanisms - how to embed Public Good

Stakeholder engagement

Interpretations derived from digital twins will be inherently different [6] across a range of perspectives, and if unchecked could perpetrate or increase discriminatory structures in society. A recommended approach [6] is having adequate representation across all stakeholders and users and having an ‘ethics-by-design’ approach rather than simply responding to ethics considerations. An agreed, common decision-making framework could provide a shared language, using established tools such as taxonomies of harms and benefits [7]. Including the requirement of delivering public good into established processes such as tenders and bids is another avenue to explore [7]. This raises the question as to how delivery of the public good would be measured and validated within these processes.

Benefits Realisation Framework

As mentioned in the report Gemini Papers: How to enable an ecosystem of digital twins? [6], to monitor and evaluate the progress of interventions, a Benefits Realisation Framework is needed. This framework would include Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the progress and benefits of connected digital twins, along with governance arrangements to support data capture, management, and dissemination. A further challenge is the potential for changing societal values over time. While changing values cannot always be anticipated, efforts should be made to clearly record and justify why particular decisions were taken, ensuring that thinking and intentions are recorded for posterity [7].

Effective metrics should address: system performance – how effective and efficient the system is, and service performance: how it feels for the end-users [8]. Such metrics would allow the status quo to be understood, improvement targets to be set and progress to be measured. Some important existing measures, such as construction productivity, are concerned only with asset creation, while major national metrics like GDP growth and productivity do not capture elements of development, such as progress towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions or increasing resilience of the infrastructure system as a whole. A focus on infrastructure’s contribution to human flourishing would invite closer examination of whether its ultimate objectives for society are being met [8].

Living Labs

Living labs employ a “learning by doing” paradigm using experiments to deliver real services to real customers. Whilst much of the iteration of design and test can be performed in synthetic environments and digital twins, eventually the real world must be used to refine designs to work with real physics, sensor noise and couplings that are often un-modellable. They also offer a mechanism for socio-technical development with people, for public acceptance, privacy, security, ethics and trust.  Further, exceptions can be surfaced in experiments that highlight unacceptable or unsafe interactions, biases or just curious and inefficient behaviours [9].

Use Case Framework and Prioritisation Framework

When it comes to digital twin use cases, there is a wide spectrum to consider. After examining an expansive range of these use cases, the Digital Twin Toolkit narrowed down to three broad categories in its Use Case Framework: Strategy and Planning, Managing assets, and Assurance.

However, most organizations will find themselves with multiple potential use cases for digital twins. Some of these might be more important, urgent, or feasible than others [12]. In such a scenario, the needs of multiple stakeholders must be balanced, meaning some stakeholders may end up addressing their second or third priority use case.

To effectively prioritize these use cases, a Prioritisation Framework that takes into account a range of metrics is published in the Digital Twin Toolkit and includes five relevant criteria (decision support times, efficiency, data availability, strategic alignment and self-sustaining) [12]. This method can guide organizations in their journey to invest and implement digital twins effectively.

Skills and Competencies for Public good

Without the right people in place, there is a risk organisations may deploy staff lacking sufficient skills to develop their digital twins, which could lead to erosion of confidence, poorly designed twins which do not result in positive outcomes.

Competency scorecards are tools presented in the Skills & Competency framework [10] can support in identifying skill and competency gaps, and developing a strategic plan for acquiring necessary skills over a given time frame. Relevant skills for delivering on the Gemini Principle of Public Good include Collaboration, Commercial Mindset, Communication and Adaptability [10], as well as Digital skills to implement solutions for the benefit of the Public Good.

Ethical considerations

A public good approach raises ethical considerations, such as defining ‘public good’ and terms such as ‘value’. Sustainability must also be addressed. In 2015 the United Nations set out 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 sub-targets, almost three-quarters of which are directly or indirectly influenced by the provision of infrastructure. Infrastructure can contribute significantly towards achieving the SDGs but infrastructure itself must be sustainable [5].

Examples

Use Cases

• Regional resilience, response and simulation [11]: Mapping the interdependencies of different systems, building a composite model to test how critical events, such as flooding, could impact infrastructure and the wider area, monitoring preparedness and prioritising efforts to shore up vital structures such as bridges and other assets.

• The citizen-centric data model [11]: The document shows how a citizen-centric data model could address the missing or misrepresented data of people and places in models used to guide investment into infrastructure, and how it could explore trade-offs and recommend interventions based on the potential to improve citizen outcomes.

Case Studies

The case study outlined below demonstrates the practical applicability of digital twins in relevance to the Gemini Principle of Public Good. • The Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDo), as a decision-support and cost-benefit analysis tool for strategic resilience planning, enhancing resilience to extreme events and prioritising the collective benefit and sustainability of critical infrastructure systems.

Please see the DT Hub case study register (Case Studies - DT Hub Community (digitaltwinhub.co.uk) for further evidence of successful outcomes with digital twins.

References

[1] The Gemini Principles. Available at: https://digitaltwinhub.co.uk/files/file/12-gemini-principles/. Accessed 29 February 2024

[2] The Gemini Papers: Why Connected Digital Twins. Available at: https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/files/gemini_papers_-_why_connected_digital_twins.pdf Accessed 29 February 2024

[3] The Gemini Papers: What are Connected Digital Twins? Available at: https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/files/gemini_papers_-_what_are_connected_digital_twins.pdf

[4] Flourishing Systems: Re-envisioning infrastructure as a platform for human flourishing. Available at: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/items/33a3c74e-102f-4e6e-ae93-24cfc539dfab. Accessed February 28, 2024.

[5] Our vision for the built environment. Available at: Our Vision for the Built Environment - Public Resources - DT Hub Community (digitaltwinhub.co.uk). Accessed February 28, 2024.

[6] Gemini Papers: How to Enable at Ecosystem of Connected Digital Twins? Available at: The Gemini Papers - DT Hub Community (digitaltwinhub.co.uk). Accessed February 28, 2024.

[7] Digital Twins, Ethics and the Gemini Principles. Available at: Digital_Twins_Ethics_and_the_Gemini_Principles.pdf (utwente.nl) Accessed February 28, 2024.

[8] Our vision for the built environment. Available at: Our Vision for the Built Environment - Public Resources - DT Hub Community (digitaltwinhub.co.uk). Accessed February 28, 2024.

[9] The Cyber-Physical Infrastructure. Available at: cyber-physical-infrastructure-vision.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk). Accessed February 28, 2024.

[10] Skills and Competency Framework. Available at: Skills & Competency Framework - Public Resources - DT Hub Community (digitaltwinhub.co.uk) Accessed February 28, 2024.

[11] The pathway towards an Information Management Framework - A ‘Commons’ for Digital Built Britain. Available at: The pathway towards an Information Management Framework - A ‘Commons’ for Digital Built Britain (cam.ac.uk) Accessed February 28, 2024.

[12] Digital Twin Toolkit. Available at DigitalTwin Toolkit - Public Resources - DT Hub Community (digitaltwinhub.co.uk) Accessed February 29, 2024.

Further Reading

• The Gemini Principles

• Our Vision for the built environment

• Data for the Public Good

• Flourishing systems

• Skills and Competency framework

• Pathway towards and IMF

• Digital Twins, Ethics and the Gemini Principles

• The Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Vision

• Our Shared Understanding

• Trust, Purpose, Value and Connected Digital Twins

• Gemini Papers: what are connected digital twins?

• Gemini Papers: why connected digital twins?

• Gemini Papers: How to enable an ecosystem of connected digital twins?