Digital Twin Cities: Laying a new cornerstone in the smart city’s digital foundations
The Digital Twin is a concept that first appeared in the early 2000s, and has been applied to a number of industrial sectors (space, aeronautics, automotive, construction…).
The concept applied to the city, Digital Twin City, is far more recent. While it has been making headlines, e.g. with its application in Singapore, it is clearly still getting its bearings and working to carve out a market.
This report takes a two-pronged approach to analyse the Digital Twin City: the solution providers’ perspective, by looking and the main suppliers and how they are positioned in this nascent market, and a city-centric perspective, qualifying the directions cities have chosen when designing their Digital Twin.
The concept applied to the city, Digital Twin City, is far more recent. While it has been making headlines, e.g. with its application in Singapore, it is clearly still getting its bearings and working to carve out a market.
This report takes a two-pronged approach to analyse the Digital Twin City: the solution providers’ perspective, by looking and the main suppliers and how they are positioned in this nascent market, and a city-centric perspective, qualifying the directions cities have chosen when designing their Digital Twin.
- Who are the companies supplying solutions?
- What sectors are they from?
- What is the current shape of the Digital Twin City ecosystem?
- What type of city-backed Digital Twin City projects are we seeing?
- What main sectors of application are cities showcasing?
- Europe: Cambridge, Helsinki, Rennes, Rotterdam
- North America: Boston, Pasadena, Portland
- Middle-East and Asia: Dubai, Jaipur, Singapore, Yingtan
- Greenfield projects: Amaravati, Toronto Waterfront
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1. From industry to the city, Digital Twins are becoming part of city planning
1.2. Players in search of a market, pioneer cities in search of use cases
1.3. What is the reality behind the hype?
2. INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY
2.1. Modelling: a source of value
2.2. Technological progress helping available tools to evolve
2.3. Methodology
3. DIGITAL TWIN CITY SOLUTION SUPPLIERS
3.1. Alphabet
3.2. Autodesk & Esri
3.3. Bentley
3.4. Cityzenith
3.5. Dassault systems
3.6. Engie Ineo/Siradel
3.7. Microsoft
3.8. NTT Data Corporation
3.9. Siemens
3.10. Other players involved in Digital Twin City solutions
3.11. How companies are positioned, based on their core business
3.12. An active acquisitions and partnership policy
3.13. A complex ecosystem, a scattered solutions market
4. DEPLOYMENTS IN CITIES
4.1. Deployments in cities
4.1.1. Cambridge: a Digital Twin applied to traffic management
4.1.2. Helsinki: the Digital Twin as a testing tool open to the public
4.1.3. Rennes: a digital project built around specific use case studies
4.1.4. Rotterdam: a Digital Twin for managing the city’s infrastructure assets
4.1.5. Other projects in Europe
4.2. Deployment in North America
4.2.1. Boston: a Digital Twin for supervising urban planning projects
4.2.2. Pasadena: a useful supervisory tool for the city’s public sector players
4.2.3. Portland: a Digital Twin activated by residents’ cellular data
4.3. Deployment in Asia/the Middle East
4.3.1. Dubai: a Digital Twin project focused on the user experience
4.3.2. Jaipur: a Digital Twin to underpin urban planning and supervision
4.3.3. Singapore: the most advanced Digital Twin to date
4.3.4. Yingtan: the 5G Digital Twin
4.4. City projects
4.4.1. Amaravati: a city created from a Digital Twin
4.4.2. Waterfront Toronto: smart city project managed by its Digital Twin
4.5. Positioning
4.5.1. How cities are positioned in terms of openness and number of applications
4.5.2. Cities’ positioning by the use of their Digital Twin
1.1. From industry to the city, Digital Twins are becoming part of city planning
1.2. Players in search of a market, pioneer cities in search of use cases
1.3. What is the reality behind the hype?
2. INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY
2.1. Modelling: a source of value
2.2. Technological progress helping available tools to evolve
2.3. Methodology
3. DIGITAL TWIN CITY SOLUTION SUPPLIERS
3.1. Alphabet
3.2. Autodesk & Esri
3.3. Bentley
3.4. Cityzenith
3.5. Dassault systems
3.6. Engie Ineo/Siradel
3.7. Microsoft
3.8. NTT Data Corporation
3.9. Siemens
3.10. Other players involved in Digital Twin City solutions
3.11. How companies are positioned, based on their core business
3.12. An active acquisitions and partnership policy
3.13. A complex ecosystem, a scattered solutions market
4. DEPLOYMENTS IN CITIES
4.1. Deployments in cities
4.1.1. Cambridge: a Digital Twin applied to traffic management
4.1.2. Helsinki: the Digital Twin as a testing tool open to the public
4.1.3. Rennes: a digital project built around specific use case studies
4.1.4. Rotterdam: a Digital Twin for managing the city’s infrastructure assets
4.1.5. Other projects in Europe
4.2. Deployment in North America
4.2.1. Boston: a Digital Twin for supervising urban planning projects
4.2.2. Pasadena: a useful supervisory tool for the city’s public sector players
4.2.3. Portland: a Digital Twin activated by residents’ cellular data
4.3. Deployment in Asia/the Middle East
4.3.1. Dubai: a Digital Twin project focused on the user experience
4.3.2. Jaipur: a Digital Twin to underpin urban planning and supervision
4.3.3. Singapore: the most advanced Digital Twin to date
4.3.4. Yingtan: the 5G Digital Twin
4.4. City projects
4.4.1. Amaravati: a city created from a Digital Twin
4.4.2. Waterfront Toronto: smart city project managed by its Digital Twin
4.5. Positioning
4.5.1. How cities are positioned in terms of openness and number of applications
4.5.2. Cities’ positioning by the use of their Digital Twin
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
2. Introduction and methodology
Digital Twin generic structure
3. Digital Twin City solution suppliers
Company positioning according to their core business
Acquisitions and partnerships to acquire GIS & 3D urban modelling expertise
Smart city needs and solutions
Dynamic simulation process: design, planning, analysis
4. Deployments in cities
4.1. Deployment in Europe
Helsinki/Kalasatama Digital Twin City architecture
Rennes Digital Twin City model
Rotterdam Digital Twin City model
Energy consumption in the district of Trent
4.2. Deployment in North America
Boston Digital Twin City model
Pasadena’s fire prevention and emergency assistance model
Digital Twin City model proposed by Sidewalk Labs
4.3. Deployment in Asia and the Middle East
Smartcitti presentation page
Main features of the Smartcitti app
Jaipur Digital Twin City model
Exit simulation of a public building – Singapore
4.4. City projects
Real-time view of information on a module inside a building
Quayside project proposed by Sidewalk Labs
4.5. Positioning
Cities’ positioning by degree of openness and number of applications
Cities’ positioning by how they use their Digital Twin
2. Introduction and methodology
Digital Twin generic structure
3. Digital Twin City solution suppliers
Company positioning according to their core business
Acquisitions and partnerships to acquire GIS & 3D urban modelling expertise
Smart city needs and solutions
Dynamic simulation process: design, planning, analysis
4. Deployments in cities
4.1. Deployment in Europe
Helsinki/Kalasatama Digital Twin City architecture
Rennes Digital Twin City model
Rotterdam Digital Twin City model
Energy consumption in the district of Trent
4.2. Deployment in North America
Boston Digital Twin City model
Pasadena’s fire prevention and emergency assistance model
Digital Twin City model proposed by Sidewalk Labs
4.3. Deployment in Asia and the Middle East
Smartcitti presentation page
Main features of the Smartcitti app
Jaipur Digital Twin City model
Exit simulation of a public building – Singapore
4.4. City projects
Real-time view of information on a module inside a building
Quayside project proposed by Sidewalk Labs
4.5. Positioning
Cities’ positioning by degree of openness and number of applications
Cities’ positioning by how they use their Digital Twin
