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The DT Hub warmly welcomes the endorsement from the ICE ICG White Paper: Covid-19 and the new normal for infrastructure systems – next steps for the National Digital Twin programme. The paper sets out that “It is impossible to expect a transformation of the infrastructure and construction industries to occur without widespread and coherent adoption of digital technologies and data… The rise of digital technologies has led to the concept of the digital twin, a representation of a physical infrastructure asset in a digital format which can aid the modelling and understanding of that asset. The concept of a National Digital Twin – an ecosystem of digital twins connected via securely shared data – and an information management framework, which would enable effective information sharing, is an extension of this idea. The National Digital Twin sets out a structured approach to managing data about infrastructure within the infrastructure system as a whole and promotes the Gemini Principles to ensure this data is used for the public good.” The paper makes the forward thinking recommendation that “Increased funding should be made available for the National Digital Twin Programme and the creation of digital twins should be mandated for all major projects and programmes.

The report containing "A manifesto for sharing engineering data" "The Open Data Institute (ODI) and Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s Manifesto for sharing engineering data for the public good is intended to build alignment and a shared vision across engineering programmes and sectors. The manifesto recognises the need for leadership from across the sector, and sets out recommendations for governments, regulators, industry bodies and the private sector." - Quote from the report (report download link: http://info.lrfoundation.org.uk/l/12702/2019-10-08/81jxls/12702/232385/LRF_ODI_Insight_report_on_sharing_engineering_data_for_web.pdf ) The manifesto has been endorsed by: Blue Marine Foundation; the Health and Safety Executive; Energy Systems Catapult; Structural-Safety; the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering; Assuring Autonomy International Programme; Tideway; CRA Risk Analysis; Bryden Wood; the Royal Academy of Engineering; Sowen Strategy Consulting; Colouring London; Mott MacDonald; the Centre for Digital Built Britain; Arup; and The Alan Turing Institute. (related link on ODI website: A manifesto for sharing engineering data https://theodi.org/article/engineering-data-for-the-public-good-a-manifesto/) Source containing download link "Top engineering organisations sign data manifesto to improve safety" https://www.lrfoundation.org.uk/en/news/insight-report-on-data/, following description are quoted from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation website: "The safety of our built infrastructure, including bridges, ports and power stations, and the people that use them has been given a boost today by the launch of a new manifesto and report aimed at the engineering sector, encouraging organisations and companies to publish, use and share data. The manifesto for sharing engineering data, has been published today by the Open Data Institute (ODI) and Lloyd’s Register Foundation. The manifesto has been endorsed by engineering firms including Mott MacDonald and Tideway, as well as the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Health and Safety Executive, and others are urged to join the movement here. It identifies a set of principles and recommendations to help improve safety by increasing access to data and driving innovation in the engineering sector, including: Government and the private sector should share and open datasets to increase access to data that will drive safety innovation and support research. Professional bodies and individual organisations should develop and promote codes of practice that will guide the ethical use of data, and ensure that the choices made about what data is collected and how it is used should not be unjust, discriminatory or deceptive. Funders should invest in programmes that will enable collaboration across the private sector, startups and researchers, to solve specific challenges through the better use of data. The manifesto is part of the new Insight report on sharing engineering data, which identifies the current barriers to sharing data about our built environment, such as concerns over the risks of data sharing (e.g. dealing with personal data), a lack of frameworks and standards for data and uncertainty around the value of sharing data."