A group of innovative businesses have been chosen to explore how their digital twin technology could be applied in an aviation environment. The Digital Twin Competition is part of the Connected Airport Living Lab, a collaboration between Connected Places Catapult and Glasgow Airport. The competition is designed to take forward innovative digital twin technology solutions tailored for the aviation sector, focusing on passenger movement, asset replacement and energy management; these challenges were specifically selected to enhance operations at the Scottish airport.
Culminating in an exclusive showcase event in Glasgow on 6 June 2024, the five innovators will exhibit their digital twin technology in front of aviation experts, industry leaders and local authorities in Glasgow.
One winner will then be selected to receive up to £70,000 to trial their innovation live at Glasgow Airport.
The five selected organisations and their projects are listed below. If chosen to progress to trials:
- Consortiq Limited would use drones to digitally map airport pavement and grass areas for better maintenance predictions and improved operational efficiency
- Emu Analytics Limited would develop real-time software to monitor aircraft ground movements, aiding in asset management and operational strategy optimization.
- Entopy would deploy its AI-enabled Digital Twin platform to alleviate terminal and gate congestion, providing a predictive and simulative edge for strategic decision-making.
- IES Ltd would deploy digital twin technology at Glasgow Airport to reduce energy consumption and operational costs, considering future scenarios of scaled EV and eVTOL uptake.
- OpenSpace Group Ltd would create a real-time digital twin of Glasgow Airport to enhance customer experience and optimise capacity using AI monitoring and analytics.
The goal of the Living Lab Digital Twin Competition is to foster innovation that will not only advance Glasgow Airport’s operations but also pave the way for sustainable and efficient aviation practices globally.
