Beyond the Buzzwords: The Uncomfortable Truth About Digital Twin Hype

Can we talk about digital twins in ways that mobilise enthusiasm and funding without overpromising capabilities? Ola Michalec, Lecturer at University of Bristol Business School, tackles the elephant in the room that most digital twin discussions avoid—the growing gap between hype and reality in the energy sector.

This candid session moves beyond technical issues of bias and model accuracy to address the fundamental challenge of value proposition narratives, examining how digital twin hype affects innovation funding, policy decisions, and infrastructure investments.

What You'll Confront:

The Hype Phenomenon: Understand how digital twin narratives in the energy sector have evolved and why the gap between promise and delivery matters for long-term sector credibility and sustainable innovation.

Value Proposition Reality Check: Learn how to communicate digital twin capabilities honestly while maintaining necessary enthusiasm for funding and development, drawing from real UK energy sector ecosystem experiences.

Policy and Procurement Insights: Discover why the "mundane work" of data sharing—including transparency in procurement and sustainable financing of public IT projects—may matter more than cutting-edge features.

Stakeholder Navigation: Explore the complex dynamics between innovators, policy makers, and infrastructure operators when digital twin expectations don't align with practical capabilities.

Research-Based Perspective

Drawing from collaboration with Energy Systems Catapult, this presentation offers an academic lens on industry challenges, providing objective analysis of the UK's energy digital twin ecosystem rather than promoting specific solutions.

Critical Questions Addressed

How do we balance technological enthusiasm with realistic expectations? What happens when digital twin projects fail to meet hyped promises? How can policy makers make informed decisions when navigating competing technology narratives?

Perfect for policy makers, innovation managers, infrastructure operators, academic researchers, technology strategists, and anyone involved in digital twin funding, procurement, or strategic decision-making.

About the Speaker

Ola Michalec is a Lecturer at University of Bristol Business School with research focus on technology adoption, innovation narratives, and policy implications in the energy sector. Her work examines the intersection of technological promise and practical implementation in critical infrastructure systems.

This is a FREE online event for Digital Twin Hub community members.

Join 120+ professionals for this thought-provoking 30-minute session, including 15 minutes of research insights followed by open discussion about managing expectations in digital twin initiatives.

Can't attend live? All Gemini Call sessions are recorded and available to the community for continued learning.

Navigate the Hype Responsibly

Join a critical conversation about sustainable innovation narratives that serve the long-term interests of the digital twin community and the infrastructure systems we're trying to improve.

Register for Free

Part of the weekly Gemini Call series - connecting the digital twin community every Tuesday at 10:30am BST.

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