Trend Report Panel Discussion (21 May): Operating smarter: using digital twins and AI to reshape urban infrastructure management

Discover how AI-powered digital twins are transforming urban infrastructure and how these innovations can improve efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

OnDemand Webinar: Preparing for AI - understanding the data groundwork with Sunderland

Discover how Sunderland is turning a strong, city‑wide data foundation into real‑world impact by using secure, scalable AI to transform planning, services, and community outcomes.

SmartCitiesWorld Summit 2026: connecting climate action, resilience and urban innovation

As cities confront the combined pressures of climate change, infrastructure resilience and digital transformation, the SmartCitiesWorld Summit 2026 will bring together urban leaders and partners during London Climate Action Week to explore how these agendas intersect – and how cities can translate strategy into practical action.

Podcast: How cities can tackle their biggest challenges through partnershipSponsored by Venturous Group

Benson Tam of Venturous Group and Michael Kwok of Arup explain how innovative public and private partnerships are pushing the envelope for the future of cities.

Smart Cities Reports

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile – Shenzhen

SmartCitiesWorld City Profiles explore the city of Shenzhen, designated as China’s first special economic zone and a role model of urban modernisation. Find out more about Shenzhen’s smart city strategy in this 16-page report.

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile – Sydney

In 2020, the City of Sydney released a Smart City Strategic Framework to harness the opportunities brought about by digital disruption, to plan for uncertainty and to sustain a global reputation as a leading place to live, work, learn and visit.

Podcasts

Podcast: Using mobility data to shape the future of citiesSponsored by TomTom

TomTom’s Ralf-Peter Schäfer discusses the power of real-time data in reshaping city life, and what the future holds for smart urban mobility.

Podcast: How cities can tackle their biggest challenges through partnershipSponsored by Venturous Group

Benson Tam of Venturous Group and Michael Kwok of Arup explain how innovative public and private partnerships are pushing the envelope for the future of cities.

Opinions

Cities Climate Action Summit 2024 – meet the exhibitor: Latitudo 40

Latitudo 40 sits at the convergence of satellite imagery analysis and AI and will demonstrate the vital role satellite data has to play in helping cities tackle the challenges of climate change.

Cities Climate Action Summit 2024 – meet the exhibitor: SSE Energy Solutions

SSE Energy Solutions will show how by leveraging the power of smart city data, cities have a key role to play in lowering carbon emissions and energy consumption and costs.

22 - 26 June 2026: Find out more

Latest City Profile

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile – Sunderland

Smart Cities Reports

Find out how Sunderland is repositioning itself as a leading smart city – using digital infrastructure and low-carbon innovation to build a resilient, future-focused economy in the latest SmartCitiesWorld City Profile.

Latest Trend Report

Trend Report: Planning and operating thriving cities – innovation for smarter urban living

Trend Series

Download our latest report to uncover how artificial intelligence is being used to support cities in how they plan and operate city services to ensure they are vibrant, sustainable and economically thriving modern spaces.

Latest Webinar

Trend Report Panel Discussion (21 May): Operating smarter: using digital twins and AI to reshape urban infrastructure management

Webinars

Discover how AI-powered digital twins are transforming urban infrastructure and how these innovations can improve efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

Latest Podcast

Cities Thriving on Lighting, Episode 2 – Simplicity by design in smart lighting

Podcasts

Discover the technology and considerations behind how cities can turn existing streetlight networks into secure, interoperable, and future‑proof infrastructure in the second episode of Cities Thriving on Lighting.

Latest Urban Exchange Podcast

Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 32 – Flood and energy resilience in Quezon City

Urban Exchange Podcast

Tune in for the latest Urban Exchange where we get a first-hand account of city resilience measures from Quezon City following unexpected extreme rainfall.

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Most Popular

Digital Dubai launches AI training initiative for the workforce

AppyWay partners to manage UK traffic regulations and the kerb

Riga reduces red light violations by two-thirds

StreetLight Data launches traffic forecasting tool

Dubai launches AI-powered digital ecosystem to drive growth

SmartCitiesWorld Newsletters (Daily/Weekly)

Our editorial newsletter pulls together our latest news items into one email, direct to your inbox. We also feature our latest city interviews, Special Reports and Guest Opinions.

Home | Connectivity & Data | Digital twins

Digital twins

A digital twins is a virtual representation of a physical product, service, or asset. It can be a digital replica of an individual object, such as a vehicle or building, but can also be extended to larger scales, such as entire cities. Here are just some of the latest stories, opinions on digital twins.

AppyWay partners to manage UK traffic regulations and the kerb

AppyWay partners to manage UK traffic regulations and the kerb

Road travel17 Apr 2026

It is integrating its kerbside and traffic regulation tool with Brightly Software’s Confirm system to support digitisation of UK highway authorities’ operations.

Project aims to integrate peri-urban areas into the climate transition

Project aims to integrate peri-urban areas into the climate transition

Climate action18 Mar 2026

The Horizon project brings together partner organisations from across Europe to develop innovative solutions in mobility, energy, industry, and governance.

Smart island enters next development phase

Smart island enters next development phase

Digital twins09 Mar 2026

Ambassadori Island Batumi in the Black Sea region is working with Arup to implement a smart city framework that integrates advanced digital infrastructure.

Abu Dhabi and Baku establish Twin City partnership

Abu Dhabi and Baku establish Twin City partnership

News24 Feb 2026

The agreement sets out a commitment by Abu Dhabi and the Baku City Executive Power to enhance quality of life and advance sustainability-led urban development.

Mission Control launched for the Physical AI era

Mission Control launched for the Physical AI era

Digital twins07 Jan 2026

Terbine’s Mission Control system is designed to manage the complexity of autonomous systems at scale and ensure humans are kept in the loop in smart cities.

EU road safety project moves from concept to action

EU road safety project moves from concept to action

Road travel15 Dec 2025

With five pilot sites, the project aims to transform the way Europe monitors, evaluates and improves safety and maintenance of its urban and secondary roads.

Innovation incubator announces scalable tech cohort

Innovation incubator announces scalable tech cohort

News11 Dec 2025

Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator is a $55m energy tech programme and the cohort represents those from housing, utilities, infrastructure, and real estate.

Looq expands global partnerships to advance reality capture

Looq expands global partnerships to advance reality capture

Digital twins02 Dec 2025

New partnerships across North America, Europe, and Asia extend survey-grade reality capture and digital twin solutions for infrastructure professionals.

Manchester hospitals use digital twin to create smart estate

Manchester hospitals use digital twin to create smart estate

Digital twins13 Nov 2025

The 3D model of six hospitals supports the digital transformation programme at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, one of UK’s largest NHS Trusts.

Rome crowned Smart City of 2025 at Barcelona Expo

Rome crowned Smart City of 2025 at Barcelona Expo

News06 Nov 2025

Judges at the World Smart City Awards gala said Rome’s visionary strategy is leveraging data, 5G and digital twins to enhance urban governance, improve public services and build resilience.

Most Popular

ST Engineering to provide smart city platform for Lusail City

The company will build and operate a smart city platform with citywide network connectivity for the Qatar city using advanced AI and data-driven technologies.

Huawei seals smart city deal with Barcelona

They will collaborate on projects relating to 5G, smart city applications and digital transformation.

AI used to monitor and optimise Swedish road infrastructure

Computer vision and machine learning specialist, Univrses, will work with the Swedish Transport Administration to digitise and manage roadside infrastructure.

Public technology Portal sculpture unites Dublin and New York

Each sculpture features a 24/7 visual livestream from a Portal in the other city, allowing real-time interaction between Dubliners and New Yorkers and visitors.

Solar city goes live

Trina Solar’s PV modules have begun operations in the 10MW Sustainable City in Dubai, which aims to use only clean energy sources

SmartCitiesWorld Newsletters (Daily/Weekly)

Our editorial newsletter pulls together our latest news items into one email, direct to your inbox. We also feature our latest city interviews, Special Reports and Guest Opinions.

Guest Opinions

Embedding intelligence: from smart to cognitive cities

Mostafa Othman, smart cities programme director, Honeywell, examines how AI is heralding a new urban intelligence where ...

Digital twins: making the future more predictableSponsored article

This powerful technology can make cities more resilient and efficient but only if enabled by advanced data management ...

Advancing adoption of digital twin technologySponsored by FIWARE

Albert H Seubers, Global Strategy Director Smart X, Atos, and Val De Oliveira, FIWARE Foundation explore how cities can ...

Think tank: what is infrastructure for?

In the latest in our series of opinions from our Advisory Board, Mott MacDonald’s Clare Wildfire argues the potential ...

Jointly building a smart city helps us all enjoy better urban livesSponsored by Huawei

Closed ecosystems mean limited choices, limited innovation, limited success, writes York Yuekun.

What smart homes can teach us about smart citiesSponsored by AVEVA

To fully realise his smart home vision, AVEVA’s W. Jarrett Campbell found much commonality with creating smart cities, ...

Towards the smart cities of 2025

From tech trends to behavioural shifts and new ways to make smart cities economically sustainable, Matthew James Bailey ...

Smart city trend tracker: The top stories on SmartCitiesWorld in 2019

We round up our main takeaways from smart city developments in 2019. We’d love to hear yours.

Why the UK needs a national digital twin

Matthew Evans, executive director, techUK, explores how we can make the vision of a national digital twin a reality, ...

IoT predictions for 2019

The data economy, 5G’s early benefactors and new tools for citizen engagement – Chris Penrose, President of IoT ...

Special Reports

SmartCitiesWorld Summit 2026: connecting climate action, resilience and urban innovation

SmartCitiesWorld Summit 2026: connecting climate action, resilience and urban innovation

The rise of digital twins in smart cities

The rise of digital twins in smart cities

City Profiles

Smart Cities Reports

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile – Shenzhen

SmartCitiesWorld City Profiles explore the city of Shenzhen, designated as China’s first special economic zone and a role model of urban modernisation. Find out more about Shenzhen’s smart city strategy in this 16-page report.