Local authorities are being urged to focus less on the technology behind digital twins and more on the practical problems they are trying to solve, in a new thought leadership article from intelligent transport solutions provider SWARCO.

Written by John Pickworth, Managing Director of SWARCO UK & Ireland, the article argues that, as Government investment and industry interest in digital twins continue to grow, councils should begin by asking fundamental questions about the outcomes they want to achieve, the quality of the data they hold and how any digital twin will support better decision-making, rather than viewing the technology as an end in itself. Mr Pickworth says authorities should start with the challenges they need to solve, rather than the technology they want to deploy.

SWARCO says successful digital twins should help authorities tackle everyday transport challenges such as congestion, resilience, asset management and network planning, while also enabling them to test the impact of policy or infrastructure changes before they are introduced in the real world.

The article also highlights the importance of ensuring that digital twins are built around trusted, connected data, warning that poor-quality or siloed information will undermine even the most sophisticated technology. Mr Pickworth argues that councils should think carefully about governance, interoperability and long-term maintenance from the outset if they are to realise the full benefits of digital twins.

The thought piece reflects growing momentum behind digital twins across the UK transport sector, with Government estimating that the technology could deliver billions of pounds of benefits through improved planning, integration and resilience over the coming decade.

Read the full SWARCO article here.

(Picture – SWARCO)