Successful DTNet+ Ideation Meeting at Ulster University: Paving the Way for the Future of Digital Twins

Middlesex University delegation for DTNet+

Belfast, North Ireland – The London Digital Twin Research Centre at Middlesex University has participated in the UKRI Digital Twinning NetworkPlus (DTNet+) Ideation Meeting, held at Ulster University on the 27th and 28th of June. This groundbreaking event, initiated by The Alan Turing Institute, brought together innovators, early career researchers from academia and industry, and leading experts to envision the next frontier of digital twinning technology.

​​DTNet+ is a UKRI-funded, UK-wide interdisciplinary research network designed to drive forward research advancements that will contribute to the next generation of digital twins. The network’s mission is to create an inclusive and diverse membership, uniting experts from various fields to transform the UK’s national capability in digital twinning.

The delegation from the London Digital Twin Research Centre at Middlesex University, led by Prof. Huan X Nguyen, attended the ideation meeting. This delegation included three fellows from the British Council Women in STEM program: Nguyen Thi Thu Hang (Vietnam), Mae Antonette Ticar (Philippines), and Annisa Ristya Rahmanti (Indonesia). Their participation, supported by the Alan Turing Early Career Researcher funding and the British Council Women in STEM funding, highlighted the inclusive and diverse nature of the network.

The DTNet+ Ideation Meeting facilitated deep discussions, knowledge sharing, and collaborative brainstorming across ten special interest groups and eight core themes, including:

  • Uncertainty & Trust
  • Design of Digital Twins
  • Health
  • Logic, Language & Ontologies
  • Interoperability
  • Scaling of Digital Twins
  • Societal Impacts of Digital Twins
  • Human Representation & Interaction
  • Real and Multi-Timescale
  • Resilience & Security

The event also featured 26 poster presentations, providing a platform for researchers to showcase their innovative ideas and projects, further promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing. The ideation meeting is a precursor to the upcoming sandpit meeting at York University in September. This next phase will focus on developing pilot project proposals into bids for funding, targeting the key themes and special interest groups identified during the ideation meeting. These projects aim to drive significant advancements in digital twinning technology, ensuring intelligent, resilient, and trusted digital twins for the future.