Dr George Economides is Head of Digital Twins in the UK government’s Department for Transport. In April 2024 he returned to Bath for his second visit through the IPR’s PFP to connect and engage with Bath academics on topics related to digital twins, AI and transport.

‘Digital Twins’ are computational models designed to replicate physical objects or processes in a two-way communication with other models or the physical world with a wide variety of applications across policy areas.

What is your role and area of expertise?

"I’m the Head of Digital Twins in the Department for Transport which is within the Analysis Directorate. Our focus is in supporting policy teams throughout the Department in using new technologies, understanding policy implications, and supporting the Department to make the most of them.

"Prior to that, I was the Head of AI and Autonomy, and Head of the Transport Research and Innovation Board for the Department. Much of my experience comes from being part of the Innovation Service at Oxfordshire County Council, and working in start-ups before that."

Which areas of policy do you work on?

"Digital Twins is a new and emerging area for the Department. My team was established in 2023 and part of my role has been about how the Department can make the most of this technology. We have worked closely with various policy teams to consider what benefits can be realised, in what are the time frames and what are the next steps.

“We work closely with the infrastructure, resilience, and response teams as well as social science. For example, in resilience we’ve been looking at the resilience of built assets through technologies like digital twins, or how could we combine digital twins with AI."

What value has the PFP brought to you in your professional role?

“Part of the challenge when working with new technologies is that they’re always evolving, and we need detailed understanding of how can they can be used across different policy areas.

“What I’ve found useful in the PFP is having the time to dive into some of these questions with the academics and have a conversation on the specific user cases that are of interest to our Department right now.”

Can you describe your experience of taking part in the PFP?

"I’ve visited twice now and it’s clear that the PFP is expanding and improving. Both times it was very useful to have meetings with a diverse group of academics and the team behind the programme at the IPR made sure that everything was arranged in advance.

"I met both senior academics as well as more junior, and early career researchers. Across my meetings I got a diverse range of views and ideas that I could follow-up on – it wasn’t that we just got ‘one view from the University of Bath’. I was able to work through different topics with different people."

How has taking part impacted your policy work to date?

"There have been a few things. On the resilience side, I had detailed discussions with academics about how theories and frameworks could be translated to practice. Already some of the discussions have highlighted challenges that lie ahead, as well as ideas that have been established from academia to industry.

"There were a couple of other discussions around potential new areas where it’s too early to tell, however we now have that knowledge and academic connections and can see how that can be fed into next steps."

How did you hear about the PFP?

"I was contacted directly by the Bath team in my previous role working under the Chief Scientific Adviser.

"However, I found it useful not just to collaborate with academics but to bring new insights to my day-to-day work in general which is why when I moved roles I came back for a second round!"

What advice would you give to others – both policymakers or academics?

"For policymakers I think a key thing is to understand what are the early stage and highly uncertain challenges you want to discuss, and to communicate those clearly in the policy questions you submit in advance.

"From the academics’ point of view, it’s to use this exchange as an opportunity to understand what are the challenges from a policy perspective, to think through how your research can contribute and also to be results orientated.

"My last piece of advice to both is to be very open to the policy challenges and the opportunities that collaboration and exchange can bring."

Would you recommend the PFP to colleagues?

“I would highly recommend it. It’s been a really good experience and I hope to see more of my colleagues participate in the future.”