The Digital Twin (DT) concept originates from industry and manufacturing. Since there is no commonly accepted definition in the geospatial domain, it refers to a digital replica of the dynamic physical environment. It includes innovations in the Building Information Modelling (BIM) domain, smart cities, or 3D modelling. By adopting Big Data and AI technologies, the city stakeholders can achieve evidence-based planning and decision-making by implementing data-driven processes. The two partners in this collaboration are Big Data for Smart Society Institute (GATE) and the Faculty of Geo-Information Sceince and Earth Observation (ITC).
Gate City Digital Twins team
GATE is the first Centre of Excellence in Bulgaria to work on integrating and extending scientific excellence and innovation in priority areas such as Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) at regional and European level. It is a purpose-build institute established in 2019 as a joint initiative between Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Chalmers University of Technology and Chalmers Industrial Technology, Sweden.
The mission of GATE is to conduct Big Data and AI applied research, to develop innovations and provide education in collaboration with government, industry and entrepreneurs. Based on this, it will generate well educated professionals, new business opportunities and societal impact in Bulgaria and Europe.
GATE provides innovation excellence into four strategic application themes – Future Cities, Intelligent Government, Smart Industry and Digital Health. Value is created in these themes through developing research excellence mainly in topics relevant to the three technology areas – Data Management, Data Analytics and Insight – and on a cross cutting area – Engineering of Big Data and AI systems.
The main contact in the GATE team is Reasearch Leader Dessislava Petrova-Antonova.
ITC City Digital Twins team
ITC is the former International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, which now has become a Faculty of the University of Twente. UT-ITC has over 70 years’ experience in training mid-career professionals and scientists from all over the world in the collection, interpretation, management and visualization of geo-information to support resource management and policy development.
UT-ITC has an extensive track record in undertaking applied research and has a long history in successfully managing more than 1100 consultancy and research projects in over 70 countries since 1958. UT-ITC has abundant expertise in disaster management, spatial hazard risk assessment, flood and landslide hazard studies, developing methodologies for Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment and the design of web-GIS and spatial data portals. UT-ITC has also experience in the organization of training, workshops and study tours in these fields worldwide.
UT-ITC’s mission is to provide international education and conduct high-level academic research to support capacity building and institutional development of professional and academic organizations as well as individuals, specifically in countries that are economically and/or technologically less developed.
The main contact for the ITC team is Associate Professor Mila Koeva.
Recordings of the Seminar and MoU Signing Ceremony are available below.