Digital twinning for crisis response in transport-based scenarios: Establishing the opportunities, challenges, vulnerabilities, and risks

DTBOC is a collaboration between the Digital Twins Network+ and the Resilience Beyond Observed Capabilities Network+. Our aim is to deliver a step change in the UK digital twinning capability in order to better prepare, respond, and recover from the scenarios identified in the National Risk Register (e.g. those listed above) that relate to transport-based scenarios.
In order to achieve this aim, we propose a series of socio-technical research questions that can be addressed through the DTBOC collaboration. These include:
1.What role can digital twins play in crisis preparedness, response, and recovery? And for whom?
2.What are the potential opportunities, threats, vulnerabilities, impacts, and risks associated with the use of digital twins within crisis management?
3.What could a risk-management framework look like for digital twins and crisis management?
4.How can we scale digital twins, enhance speed of response, and establish effective methods for interoperability?
The framework of (i) preparedness, (ii) response, and (iii) recovery will be used to develop the digital twin concepts for all four of the socio-technical research questions. For example, in the preparedness stage, digital twins can be used for extensive scenario planning, that could also be developed for training of key personnel, including decision makers. The response stage requires digital twins that support multi-stakeholder coordination, combined with rapid access to data to inform high-consequence key decisions. During the recovery stage, detailed post-event analysis is required from a digital twin, with the opportunity to learn from the data over a longer timescale, and ensure that new information is used to improve future resilience.

Digital Twins (DTs), that is digital versions of physical objects or processes, when combined with artificial intelligence (AI) offer great potential for efficiency and advancement in many diverse areas. This project will examine how DTs can be used to enhance societal resilience to disruptive events such as weather, pandemic, terrorism and others, and make governmental responses more swift and efficient.

The project is ongoing and will lead to multiple publications in this area.