A [national, federated digital twin] could help Canada beat wildfires, fix commutes and save tax dollars

Title was modified to add additional context words, quoted from the article. The original title was "A digital twin could help Canada beat wildfires, fix commutes and save tax dollars "

Excerpt:

Canada is facing larger wildfires, rising flood risks and worsening traffic congestion. The federal government’s infrastructure plan budgets at least $180 billion over 12 years, yet insured disaster losses hit a record $8.5 billion in 2024.

Despite these massive investments, too often problems are only discovered after construction begins. One way to address this is to model risks and impacts before they occur using a digital replica that mirrors how real systems work.

A “digital twin” — essentially a live virtual model of roads, transit, energy, water and public buildings — would let policymakers and planners test ideas and spot risks ahead of time. It blends maps and 3D models with data (some live, some updated regularly), so policymakers and planners can run “what-if” scenarios.

For example, policymakers could use a digital twin to see how a lane closure, new bus route or wildfire evacuation order might ripple through a city before making a decision. Singapore already uses this approach to test planning and emergency responses and its documented efficiency gains are clear.

As researchers, we see a national, federated digital twin improving Canada’s resilience and efficiency in three practical ways.