Letters | Why Hong Kong must go big on digital twin technology
- Readers discuss the benefits of adopting a digital ecosystem to improve urban management, an outdated requirement for visitors, the taxi industry’s fear of competition, and a way to inject stability into the stock market
In an era where digital twin technology is reshaping urban planning and management, Hong Kong finds itself at a critical juncture.
Digital twins are virtual representations of real-world objects, processes and systems. By providing ways of interacting with and manipulating real-world objects in a virtual space, this developing technology can help improve city planning and management.
While Hong Kong has made commendable strides through some pilot projects, it’s time it broke free from scattered initiatives and embraced a bold, society-wide digital twin strategy. For a start, it can draw inspiration from the European Commission’s visionary CitiVerse project.
The European Commission’s approach to digital twin cities – part of its new strategy on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds – is nothing short of revolutionary. The initiative, which aims to seamlessly blend humans with machines using augmented and virtual reality, will leverage real-time data and advanced analytics to improve urban design and resilience planning. The possibilities are endless.
By adopting a similarly targeted and comprehensive approach, Hong Kong can identify key domains where digital twins can revolutionise operations and enhance sustainability.
