Two’s company

the what, why’s and how’s of Digital Twins in industry today and tomorrow.

An event hosted at Discovery Park in partnership with Pfizer, BioGateway, Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science Network, Discovery Park and the University of Kent.

There was a fantastic turn out for this event, with some amazing key note speakers including Andrew Hodgson (Strategic Lead, Digitisation) from Siemens talking about the definition of a Digital Twin followed by Stephen Docherty (Industry Executive, Health) from Microsoft and Ben Park (Director of AI, Robotics and Automation) from Sopra Steria UK about Holographic technology in healthcare with the day being rounded off by Simon Leeming (Head of Digital Skills partnership) Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

The Business and Innovation Gateway team were there to represent the University of Kent, alongside our industrial strategy, EIRA and Kent and Medway Medical School teams.

What is a digital twin?

The term digital twin was originally coined by Dr Michael Grieves in 2002. Digital twins connect the real and virtual world using real-time data. The data is stored on a cloud, analysed and then used to create a simulation.

An example of a digital twin in action:

An example of a digital twin, highlighted in Andrew Hodgson’s talk was the representation of a digital production line, filling Whiskey Barrels. The digital twin shows how the production line works using data that has been collected. It highlighted pinch point areas and potential for improvements. Once this digital twin is running smoothly it can be created in real form. Andrew Hodgson showed a demonstration of how this real life problem was solved using a digital twin with the outcome of barrels being filled faster and more safely.

Digital Twins in healthcare:

Healthcare is an area in which innovation and solutions are always being created and adapted. Ben Park from Sopra Steria UK talked about Holocare, a piece of software which uses AI to take digital representations of organs from which surgeons can practice surgery in a safe 3D virtual way. This has revolutionised how surgeons prepare for surgery. Not only is this digital twin software used in the planning of surgery, but also during the surgery itself, as a digital model of an organ can be produced and overlaid over the patient giving a real and virtual model to work from. Feedback from this has shown that surgeons find it difficult to work together with the holographic headsets as they have a tendency to bash heads.

Holocare is used as a means of remote treatments and patient communications as a doctors can be patched in from all across the world to consult. All of which results in the saving of lives, improving the quality of treatment and reduces time and money.

 

Digital Skills for work:

Closing remarks from Simon Leeming showed that over 17 million people in the UK do not have the full set of essential digital skills for work. This is a staggering number, which includes digital skills such as being able to turn on a computer, or open an app. 48% of those who have not been online in the past 3 months are under 60. With the future of technology looking bright with the enhancement of Digital Twins, it is staggering that there are still so many people in the UK without basic digital skills.

 

Thank you to all who attended the day, presented and engaged with us at this event.

If you would like to know more about how the Business and Innovation Gateway can support you and your business, please contact us via the below:

E: enterprise@kent.ac.uk

T: 01227 827376

W: kent.ac.uk/enterprise

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