Watch this SmartCitiesWorld and BizzTech panel discussion where industry leaders and experts will delve into the transformative potential of metaverse and digital twin technologies for urban development.
Date recorded: Thursday 18 September 2025
Length: 60 minutes + Q&A
As cities worldwide face increasing pressure to deliver efficient services while managing infrastructure challenges, the adoption of digital-first models has become essential.
Metaverse and digital twin technologies offer a dynamic, data-driven approach to urban management, enabling improved decision-making, cost efficiencies, and enhanced urban services. This trend report panel discussion, hosted in partnership with BizzTech, explores how these technologies can support reconstruction and redevelopment efforts, particularly through the lens of the UkraineVerse project – a prime example of BizzTech’s innovative platform.
Key discussion points include:
By watching, you’ll be able to stay ahead of these technology trends and understand how they’re shaping the future of urban development, learning from industry experts and real-world case studies.
Whether you’re in the early stages of exploration or looking to scale existing efforts, this panel discussion will provide you with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions and drive positive change in your city.
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Jason Shuster Co-Founder & Chief Operations Officer, BizzTech
Jason Shuster is the Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer at BizzTech. Jason earned his bachelor’s in business management from Brigham Young University’s Idaho campus and then a Masters of Finance degree from the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. After years of owning and operating several insurance and financial services businesses, Jason launched his career in tech and gaming by Co-Founding Bad Panda Games – a game studio in Austin, TX, and then BizzTech.
Jason has a strong background in leadership, strategy, management, Finance, and Business development across several industries.
Jason is also an Eagle Scout, and when he is not working, he spends most of his time with his family (his wife, three children, and dog), reading, engaging in athletics, playing board games, or playing golf. |
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Dorothea Manou Solution Manager, Cities & Urban Infrastructure, Bentley Systems
Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and a Master’s in Geomatics, GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques, Dorothea had been working as a GIS Engineer and Consultant before joining Bentley 5 years ago. As an Industry Advisor for Cities Digital Twin Solutions at Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering company, Dorothea works alongside Bentley users, partners and industry experts to help enable cities to adopt digital twin technologies to become more resilient and sustainable. With over 15 years’ experience in the software industry supporting infrastructure engineering, Dorothea’s current focus is interoperable digital twin solutions connecting geospatial, AI and information management to support collaborative planning and situational intelligence for better decision making for city infrastructure. |
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Ali Nicholl Data and Digital Strategic Engagements Director, Connected Places Catapult
Ali serves as the Data and Digital Strategic Engagements Director at Connected Places Catapult where he is accelerating innovation and delivering meaningful change.
Before this, Ali was part of the founding team at IOTICS, the game-changing start-up that transformed how the world uses and shares data. As part of the leadership team he was responsible for driving awareness, acceptance and adoption of a new approach to delivering flourishing systems and services.
Ali’s passion is liberating the creative potential of communities of individuals, organisations and enterprises through safe secure interactions. Whether creating new services or tackling global crises the problem isn’t a lack of data, collectively we are awash with data. The challenge is access and security. |
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Ernesto Faubel Head of Smart City & Data Management Department, Municipality of Valencia
Ernesto Faubel-Cubells has been the IT Project Leader in the Municipality of Valencia since 1994, holding different levels of responsibility. Currently, Head of Smart City Office, since September 2022. |
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Valerie Chang Managing Director, Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners
Valerie Chang, Managing Director, leads partnership relations and new member outreach for Curiosity Lab. In her role, Valerie manages day-to-day correspondence, builds relationships with current and potential partners and recruits startups to become members of Curiosity Lab to test, demonstrate and/or develop their technologies. She also represents Curiosity Lab at local, regional, national and international conferences. Previously Valerie managed the day-to-day operations of Curiosity Lab’s Innovation Center and Curiosity Lab events.
She brings 7 years of experience in marketing, digital marketing, management and customer service. Valerie graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Marketing and a New Media certificate. As a Georgia Native, Valerie is passionate about supporting local startups and businesses. |
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Luke Antoniou
Luke has been reporting on the implementation of smart technologies that benefit citizens and the public sector since 2017.
He has a particularly keen interest in smart and sustainable mobility and its role in influencing the decisions of urban planners, citizens and governments alike.
As rapid urbanisation continues, he keeps his finger on the pulse of the myriad urban challenges facing local and central governments, making new connections in the public and private sectors and finding new angles from which to cover the latest smart city developments around the world. |

We’ve produced an accompanying Trend Report for this session on ’Digital-first modelling and the urban metaverse’. In this report we explore how digital models and metaverse applications are supporting cities in advancing their planning, service delivery, and the economic benefits this brings.
This report, published in collaboration with BizzTech, explores the growing relevance of digital twins and metaverse tools in cities, focusing on three key areas:
Download now to gain valuable insights into how local and national governments are already putting these tools to work, featuring real-world examples from Ukraine, Helsinki, Singapore, Wellington, and San Diego.

Why not try these links to see what our SmartCitiesWorld AI can tell you.
(Please note this is an experimental service)
How do digital twins improve cost efficiency in urban infrastructure management?What baseline data is essential to start digital-first urban modeling?How can metaverse technologies enhance cross-departmental collaboration in cities?What economic benefits do digital twins offer to city investors and planners?How are digital twins applied in Ukraine’s urban reconstruction efforts?