Connected digital twins are guided by a key premise: data is more valuable when it's used, contributed to, and maintained by more people, all while being effectively governed to maintain its quality and provenance [1].

It's crucial to recognize that openness isn't solely about data availability, it's about interpreting and sharing data in ways that provide genuine knowledge to relevant stakeholders, thus deriving true value from openness [2]. Technological methodologies, like sharing meta or synthetic data and utilizing multi-party computation tools, can further contribute to achieving data openness [2].

Mechanisms - how to embed Openness

Designing Governance models with Openness

The report Trust, Purpose, Value and Connected Digital Twins [4] provides comprehensive guidance for establishing governance models that advocate transparency and foster trust among stakeholders. The context, complexity, scale, and sensitivity of the connected digital twins play a significant role in helping stakeholders determine the necessary governance structures [4].

Clear terms of reference are essential for governance bodies to verify compliance with the rules and promote trust in outcomes and competence. The rules set out how connected digital twins will function to achieve its purpose [4]. This includes determining the nature of the data made accessible, the entities with whom it will be shared, and the uses to which such entities are entitled to put that data. In essence, the governance models are designed to advocate openness while enabling secure, ethical, and regulated use of data in the world of digital twins.

Designing Operating models with Openness

The Trust, Purpose, Value and Connected Digital Twins report [4] highlights the importance of incorporating the Gemini Principle of Openness when designing and mapping the Operating Model. This principle is particularly considered within the Data section, taking into account the Data Spectrum framework. This framework categorizes data accessibility from closed to open access, promoting transparency in line with the principle of making data as open as possible [4].

The report suggests key questions to be asked when designing the operating model. These revolve around the identification of stakeholders, understanding the value and risk for each, determining the type of data needed and how long it's required, and considering the necessary technical capabilities and resources [4]. It's also important to assess the cost of development and ongoing operation of the connected digital twins, and the length of its operation [4].

Planned Information Management Framework: Integration Architecture

The Integration Architecture (IA) is an essential component of the planned Information Management Framework (IMF) that enables data sharing [3]. It contains protocols for integrating digital twins, including a discovery protocol for efficient retrieval of digital twins, an authorisation layer for implementing a security model, and a data transformation and validation engine for integrating incompatible data and facilitating compliance [3].

The IA plays a crucial part in managing how digital twins can be combined, making data accessible to authorised users while maintaining security and privacy. This architecture, with its protocols for data sharing and integration, embodies the principle of function, which allows the Information Management Framework (IMF) to operate effectively and evolve over time.

In relation to the Gemini Principle of Openness, it is envisaged that the components of the IA will be a mix of proprietary products for legacy systems and a community of open-source modules adhering to the architecture principles. These components must comply with required standards to support interoperability. Service providers usually support recognized standards like OAuth 2.0 for authentication and OpenID for Identity services and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) for both [3].

Skills and Competencies for Openness

To establish a strong skill set within the team, competency scorecards presented in the Skills & Competencies Framework are a valuable tool [5]. These scorecards will help identify skill and competency gaps, build cross-functional teams, and develop a resource plan and pipeline of skills needed over a specific time frame.

Education is paramount in achieving openness as it aids stakeholders in understanding the benefits of sharing data within a digital twin context, establishes a common language around its use, and enhances the accessibility of digital twins [2].

Key collaboration skills for Openness include building trusting relationships, developing shared goals, sharing and re-sharing the right data, and working with others. Recognizing the broad impact of data interoperability is also essential. Roles such as Data Steward, Data Leader, Data Regulator, Industry Leader, and Sector Regulator are important in modelling a culture of openness and sharing.

Ethical considerations

The principle of openness doesn't necessarily mean absolute transparency of data, based on the Digital Twins, Ethics and the Gemini Principles [2], factors like data protection principles (see Gemini Principle Security), institutional trust, and governance mechanisms all play critical roles in determining the level of openness and trust. Open data should ideally be the default for digital twins, but this approach brings about queries related to data stewardship, ownership, and governance of downstream data uses (see Gemini Principle Curation).

Trust in technology is significant, but it shouldn't be absolute, especially in a democratic system where a healthy degree of scepticism is welcomed [2]. A supportive ethical framework for digital twins can help improve trust levels without demanding blind faith. This approach might encompass community engagement, balanced stakeholder representation, and lessons from other industries, such as the medical field that employ trusted/accredited operators [2].

Examples

The use case and case study outlined below demonstrate the practical applicability of digital twins in the context of the Openness Gemini Principle.

Use Cases

The following use case relates to the Gemini Principle of Openness:

• Emergency Management: It refers to the architecture’s deployment for short term use cases such as emergency management response. In addition to longer term routine operational use cases, an important use case is the ability to respond to an emergency that will require pulling together data from across different communities in a way that was not foreseen before the incident that caused the requirement, e.g., COVID19. (Integration Architecture Pattern and Principles)

The Digital Twin Navigator provides examples of primary and secondary use cases for digital twins. The Use Case Framework presented in the Digital Twin Toolkit provides further use cases.

Case studies

The following case study relates to the Gemini Principle of Openness:

• Offshore energy Case Study [6]: The collaborative approach and sharing of data and insights in the development of the Autonomous Inspection Vehicle (AIV) reflect the principle of openness, promoting transparency and accessibility of information.

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 March 12, 2024

[2]  Digital Twins, Ethics and the Gemini Principles. Available at: Digital_Twins_Ethics_and_the_Gemini_Principles.pdf (utwente.nl) Accessed March 12, 2024.

[3] National Digital Twin: Integration Architecture Pattern and Principles. Available at: Integration Architecture Pattern and Principles - Public Resources - DT Hub Community (digitaltwinhub.co.uk) Accessed March 12, 2024.

[4]  Trust, Purpose, Value and Connected Digital Twins. Available at Trust, Purpose, Value and Connected Digital Twins - Member Resources - DT Hub Community (digitaltwinhub.co.uk) Accessed March 12, 2024.

[5] Skills and Competency Framework. Available at: Skills & Competency Framework - Public Resources - DT Hub Community (digitaltwinhub.co.uk) Accessed March 12, 2024.

[6] Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Vision. Available at: The Cyber-Physical Infrastructure - Empowering innovation, people, robots and smart machines to enhance prosperity, resilience, sustainability and security (publishing.service.gov.uk) Accessed March 12, 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

• Digital Twin Navigator

• 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?