Progressing by sharing – one year of the Gemini Call

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the National Digital Twin programme’s (NDTp) weekly Gemini Call – an online progress update from the NDTp with a feature spot for members of the Digital Twin Hub to showcase projects and share digital twin knowledge and experiences. DT Hub Chair, Sam Chorlton, tells us about the call, its beginnings and the latest move to the DT Hub.

There’s no doubt that the Gemini Call has been a game-changing addition to the NDTp. Brought about by CDBB CReDo Lead, Sarah Hayes, we launched it in September 2020 as part of the Gemini programme to inform our friends and followers about programme developments.

In its early days, the call also played a major part in opening the dialogue for creation and delivery of NDTp projects, notably the Digital Twin Toolkit project, which resulted in a report and template package to help organisations build a business case for a digital twin. (We’re excited that the template has since been downloaded approaching 1,000 times.)

We could not have achieved the Toolkit project without the input of supporters across 17 DT Hub member organisations, and it was the members’ pro bono contributions and willingness to collaborate in this venture that enabled us to open up opportunities for knowledge sharing and discussions about digital twin journeys.

By the community, for the community

Today, the half-hour Gemini Call brings in around 60 participants each week, and over the year nearly 300 members have attended at least once. This year we have changed the agenda to allow for a feature focus by DT Hub member organisations to present digital twin projects or research, followed by a forum for Q&A. To date, there have been 16 digital twin presentations given by organisations worldwide. It is this free exchange of knowledge and open discussion between members of the community that is pushing progress on an international scale.

Sarah Hayes gives her take on the year, “We’re thrilled with what has happened with the call and we are telling everyone to come and get involved. We have over 2,000 members from government, public and private industry sectors and academia, and there is so much we can all learn from one another. Right now, there is a ground swell of connected digital twin development, and the DT Hub community can access this first hand.”

Gemini Call chair and Digital Energy leader at Arup, Simon Evans, said, “The call has been an excellent forum to bring industry together, whatever the experience or involvement with digital twins, and provide that regular knowledge-share and update on leading international digital twin developments.”

The Gemini Call sits centre stage within the DT Hub community as a member-focused exchange to help organisations increase their digital twin knowhow - it is a focal point for the community as we experience and drive digital transformation. Come and join the conversation!

Progressing by sharing challenge

One year on, we set this challenge to our members: invite a guest from your network to the next Gemini Call so we can expand the discussion and break down the barriers to sharing data.

Become a DT Hub member

Sign up to join the Gemini Call