Experts and policy makers assembled at the first International Digital Twins of the Ocean Summit, May 2022 in London, with 90 attendees from 18 countries present at Lancaster House in London and around 400 attendees from over 40 countries online. The two-day Summit explored progress in the development of Digital Twins of the Ocean capability, considered their requirements for infrastructure, described potential applications and defined a path forward.
The ocean economy is growing and the pressures on our seas and the ocean, including from overexploitation, pollution and climate change, have asserted significant stresses on the marine system. Digital twins are rich, virtual representations of objects and systems, in this case the ocean system, or a part of it. They allow us to track how and why the things we care about are changing and simulate what their futures could be, including by exploring ‘what if?’ scenarios. They can provide critical knowledge to plan and guide human activities in the ocean and coastal spaces to safeguard a healthy ocean and support a sustainable green- blue economy.
Building on the outcomes of the UK G7 Presidency 2021, the UK Government hosted the event, led by the Digital Twins of the Ocean (DITTO) programme of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, with support from the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative. The Summit was an in-person high-level event with live stream Q&A, and included a programme of virtual satellite events hosted by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research.
For the final summit statement, click here.
For more information, access to the final programme, presentations, photos, and other resources, click here.
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