Digital Twins Initiative
Welcome to the Digital Twins Initiative, brought to you by the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub (NEBDHub) and the National Student Data Corps (NSDC), in collaboration with our partners across industry, government, non-profits, and academia.
A digital twin, as defined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), is a virtual representation of a physical system that is dynamically updated with real-world data, can predict behavior, and informs decisions to create value. By integrating data from sensors, simulations, diagnostic and operational systems, digital twins enable organizations to monitor performance, predict outcomes, test scenarios, and make more informed decisions. From healthcare and manufacturing to smart cities and infrastructure, digital twin technologies are transforming how we understand, manage, and optimize complex systems in real time, leveraging artifical intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques.
Explore upcoming events, curated resources, and collaboration opportunities for learners, researchers, educators, and professionals who want to dive deeper into the world of digital twins.
Digital Twins Resources
Foundations & Definitions
New to digital twins? Start here. These resources explain what a digital twin actually is. A virtual representation of a physical system that’s continuously updated with real-world data and how the concept has evolved from a manufacturing tool into a technology now shaping healthcare, cities, and infrastructure.
- What is a Digital Twin? — IBM Think
A clear, beginner-friendly explainer of the core concept and how it’s used across industries. - Digital twin — Wikipedia
Background, history, and terminology, with links to further reading. - Foundational Research Gaps and Future Directions for Digital Twins — National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)
The authoritative U.S. consensus report defining digital twins and identifying open research questions. - The Forecasting Revolution: Digital Twins and the Bottom Line — NIST (U.S. Government)
A government perspective on digital twin standards and measurement science. - Digital Twins explained — Bernard Marr
A short video walkthrough for visitors who’d rather watch than read. - What is Digital Twin Technology? — AWS
Explains how and why businesses adopt digital twin technology, from a cloud-provider’s view
Digital Twins at Columbia University
The “Digital Twins in Healthcare: Clinical, Ethical and Legal Perspectives” workshop hosted at Columbia University on April 27, 2026 brought together clinicians, bioethicists, radiologists, surgeons, technologists, researchers, engineers, start-ups, legal and regulatory experts from the National Institutes of Health, MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the University of Maryland, the University of Michigan, Harvard University, the Digital Twins Consortium and more. The workshop participants discussed how digital twins, built from patient and environmental data, are moving into clinical care, and the ethical, legal, and regulatory questions that arise. View the agenda and list of speakers here. Watch below to learn more.
Digital Twins Interest Form
Interested in digital twins across domains? Complete the following interest form to receive invitations to upcoming workshops, events, and collaborative opportunities where you can explore digital twin applications and connect with experts across sectors.