Digital Twin Germany

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Making sustainable decisions requires knowing the possible options for action and future scenarios as well as their long-term effects at the time of the decision and including this in the decision. The "where" often plays a special role here.

With the Digital Twin Germany, the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy is developing a new product to support sustainable decisions in all spatial and geo-related tasks of the federal administration. The basis of the Digital Twin Germany will be an intelligent, spatial, digital image of Germany that can be used to simulate future scenarios. This twin will have unprecedented accuracy and contain all basic geo-objects, from high-rise buildings to traffic lights and trees.

Schematic representation of the Digital Twin Germany

The Digital Twin Germany is modeled on Industry 4.0 concepts, which use digital twins to run through processes, measures and developments virtually before they are implemented in reality. The advantage is obvious: collaboration is not only made easier for the players, e.g. interdisciplinary working groups, but the individual specialist expert systems such as analysis and simulation can also be interconnected. Digital twins are also being created both at European level and - for example as part of the Smart City - at municipal level. The Digital Twin Germany will be embedded in these efforts in order to achieve synergies across levels.

Based on this model, the Digital Twin Germany is intended to digitally map, simulate and analyze the real world so that politicians and administrators can be provided with a basis for decision-making.

What does a Digital Twin Germany offer?

• A highly precise and uniform nationwide 3D model of Germany is being created. This will create a better data basis for decision-making.
• The database is updated regularly - every three years. This means that not only is an up-to-date database always available, but also valuable data on trends and changes, e.g. buildings, changes in the forest cover or the ground relief.

Visualization example of the measuring points recorded by flying over them

• Alternative courses of action and future scenarios can be run through and simulated comprehensively. This enables a more holistic impact assessment and weighing of interests and ultimately more sustainable decisions to be made.
• The highly accurate data basis can be used for many applications in federal authorities. This avoids multiple entries and saves costs.
• The Digital Twin Germany will combine various analysis and simulation methods from different specialist disciplines under one roof. This will enable the knowledge of different specialist disciplines to be used together and complex issues to be tackled comprehensively.
• With the digital twin, the BKG, as the federal government's central geoservices provider, is bundling forward-looking technologies such as AI methods, cloud computing power and big data technologies. This allows complex use cases to be tackled without each federal authority having to build up its own redundant IT resources and expertise.
• The impact of measures on the environment can be visualized realistically. This allows results to be visualized in the 3D model in a way that can be "experienced" and decisions can be better communicated.
• Spatial/geo-related decision-making processes are digitalized throughout. This promotes efficient administrative action and speeds up processes.

This is where a digital twin can help with the decision

• Environmental hazards: Which valleys are particularly at risk of flooding during heavy rainfall?
• Health: In which urban areas does heat endanger the health of residents?
• Infrastructure expansion: Which areas are suitable for the expansion of new energies?
• Climate impact adaptation: How are forests in Germany changing?
• Environment: How much is the spread of invasive plant species increasing?
• Civil protection: Which evacuation routes can still be used in the event of flooding or forest fires?
• Equivalent living conditions: How is the accessibility of hospitals distributed?

The Digital Twin becomes accessible in the digital lab:

Link to YouTube video