New Technology Study

5 September 2017

Sarah Hayes New Technology Lead

National Infrastructure Commission
• Executive agency of HM Treasury
• 5-yearly National Infrastructure Assessment with a 30 year
timeline and vision:
• Digital
• Energy
• Flood defence
• Transport
• Waste
• Water and wastewater
• In-depth studies into the UK’s most pressing infrastructure
challenges
Questions
• How do we address congestion?
• How do we plan for drought?
• How do we address the need for resilience?
• What will be the impact of electric vehicles on pollution by 2050?

• How can new technologies improve the productivity

of infrastructure?
New technologies
study: choosing
case studies

First Call for Evidence

Focus on digital technologies Big data

National Infrastructure Which NIA issues might data based

Assessment (NIA) technologies be able to solve?

Improving
Water
Congestion asset
leakage
maintenance
Initial Findings
• New technologies enable us to have a better understanding of the
condition and performance of our assets
• Predictive maintenance, more efficient operations, reduced construction
costs, safety and emissions reduction – large areas of potential value
waiting to be unlocked
• Essential to capture and analyse the right data on an asset, and determine
what data adds value vs does not
• Regulatory systems reward innovation in different ways
• Infrastructure operators place high value on their physical assets, but have
not fully comprehended the value of digital assets. For some, the ‘case’ for
smart infrastructure still needs to be made
• Leading operators moving in the direction of digital twins…
Digital Twin Concept: a model of an infrastructure
asset or system of assets which simulates
optimised use and maintenance of that asset.
Data and granularity
• We need to know where our assets are!

• Catalyse remote data collection technologies

• Develop quantum sensing and drone technologies
• Develop central register of underground assets
Standardisation
• Standardisation: set standards for collecting data (e.g. to ensure
interoperable, verifiable)
• Coordination: agreed business models, common approach
• Security: prioritisation of tiers, levels of access, risk management

=> Framework for National Data on Infrastructure

Actions and events
• Call for evidence closes 15 September
• Digital Twin Data Challenge Launch
• 17 October Digital Twin Data Challenge and Policy Thinkathon,
Bristol Data Dome
• December report publication and launch workshop
• How do we create a Framework for a National Digital Twin?

www.nic.org.uk
@NatInfracom