Digital twins: key technology for sustainable environmental policy!

Digital twins: key technology for sustainable environmental policy!

The Floodplain Institute of the Catholic University (KU) Neuburg-Ingolstadt is involved in the EU project SWIM, the aim of which is to improve living conditions for migratory fish species. Prof. Dr. Bernd Cyffka, director of the institute, emphasizes the importance of collaboration with local actors. These collaborations are crucial to ensure long-term ecological, social and economic benefits. The Aueninstitut brings valuable experience from numerous EU-wide projects to this project. The exchange between government bodies, NGOs, scientists and the affected local communities is intensified through transnational cooperation within the SWIM alliance.

A central aspect of the project is the active participation in pilot measures along the Danube and its tributaries. These measures are accompanied by training and education programs that are intended to benefit both students and local authorities and NGOs. The aim is to deepen knowledge about water management and renaturation and to raise public awareness of these topics.

Technological innovations in focus

The project has a funding volume of around 470,000 euros. Technological innovations play a central role in the implementation of ecological measures. Digital twins are used here, which optimize the planned measures based on simulation. This advanced technology makes it possible to monitor habitat conditions in real time - a task also supported by drones. In addition, blockchain-supported data management systems involve the collaboration of all those involved and increase the transparency of the project.

Virtual reality is also used to promote stakeholder engagement and deliver educational content interactively. The long-term goal of the SWIM project is to significantly improve environmental policy and thus contribute to the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Water Framework Directive, the Habitats Directive and the European Green Deal.

Digital twins: A tool for the future

Digital twins are not only relevant for the SWIM project. The D21 initiative recently published a think piece that examines the application of this technology from a sustainability perspective. Digital twins, as they are also called, are high-precision digital images of the real world. They reflect changes in real time and enable the prediction and planning of environmental measures before problems actually occur.

For example, Singapore began the creation of a digital twin of the city in 2012, which led to significant progress in the planning and implementation of urban infrastructure. Predictions suggest that digital twins could create economic value of up to €1.2 trillion by 2030 and reduce CO2 emissions by 7.5 gigatons. This potential effect could make a significant contribution to achieving Germany's climate goals.

The technology has now become established in various sectors, including industry, medicine and energy. A real-world example shows Amsterdam introducing a system to plan heat protection measures while making encrypted environmental and traffic data transparently available to the public. This concept promotes citizen participation and should serve as a model for other cities.

In conclusion, it can be summarized that the use of digital twins can not only significantly reduce the development times of environmental policy projects, but also increase the effectiveness of climate protection measures. The vision for 2050 speaks of a connected Europe in which open environmental twins are able to provide precise information about climate, mobility and environmental impacts.

These developments show the potential that lies in combining traditional environmental management with the latest technologies. It will be essential that society, science and politics work together on a sustainable future.