Research and analysis

Infrastructure digital twins: data requirements

Research showing how digital twin technology can improve the whole-life efficiency and resilience of infrastructure.

• From: Department for Transport
• Published: 30 October 2025

Documents

Infrastructure digital twin data requirements for whole life efficiency and resilience

PDF, 672 KB, 37 pages

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This report shows how digital twin technology could be used to protect infrastructure against identified risks such as ageing, climate change and emerging cybersecurity threats.

A digital twin is a virtual model of an object, system or process connected to its real-world counterpart by a 2-way flow of real-time data. This connection lets us test decisions before making them and understand how different actions might affect the real world.

Using digital twins can provide infrastructure owners with a better understanding of:  

• the condition of their assets 
• when to intervene for maintenance or renewal 
• how to guide future design

This research supports the establishment of an evidence base for the use of advanced digital twins in infrastructure management.

Mott Macdonald has produced this report on behalf of the Department for Transport, as the department’s Futures Advisor.

Published 30 October 2025