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The Federated Universe of AI-Enhanced Digital Twins to Achieve Climate Neutrality of Urban Environments

Project description

Building climate-neutral cities through AI-enhanced digital twins

"European cities must cut emissions while coping with heatwaves, flooding, air pollution and other weather extremes. The EU-funded TWINVERSE project supports AI-assisted decision-making in five EU Mission cities — Milan, Cork, Lappeenranta, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Kalamata. It federates their local digital twins through an interoperable data space, building on EU initiatives such as the Local Digital Twin Toolbox and the SIMPL middleware, so that data and services can be exchanged and reused across cities. Modular AI services covering mobility, energy, urban service optimisation such as winter road maintenance, and climate risk provide scenario analysis and impact simulation. Embedded in existing governance and planning processes, the results strengthen city capacities and inform Climate City Contracts and future urban policies.

Objective

European cities are at the frontline of the climate crisis, responsible for over 70% of global CO2 emissions while hosting 75% of the EU population—a figure projected to rise further. Cities are also increasingly exposed to the compounding impacts of heatwaves, flooding, air pollution, and energy poverty, all of which disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. At the same time, cities are expected to deliver on the ambitious goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030 under the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. However, urban planning and management processes remain fragmented, siloed, and often lack the integrated, real-time data analysis capabilities needed to support systemic transformation.

TWINVERSE aims to design, implement, and operationalise a federated ecosystem of interoperable, AI-enhanced Digital Twins across diverse European cities to accelerate the transition toward climate-neutral, resilient, and inclusive urban futures. The project will develop modular, robust, and explainable AI-based services that integrate real-time and static urban data across multiple domains—such as mobility, energy, land use, socio-demographics, and green infrastructure—supporting scenario analysis, impact simulation, and participatory planning. TWINVERSE will empower local authorities with actionable intelligence to inform cross-sectoral decisions, foster citizen engagement, and contribute directly to the implementation of Climate City Contracts (CCC), Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). The project will ensure scalability, replicability, and sustainability through open-source components, capacity-building, and synergies with the EU Local Digital Twin Toolbox, Common European Data Spaces, and relevant mission-oriented partnerships, while stimulating EU innovation ecosystems and industry through market-oriented exploitation strategies.

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MISS-2025-04

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Coordinator

FONDAZIONE LINKS - LEADING INNOVATION & KNOWLEDGE FOR SOCIETY
Net EU contribution
€ 718 175,00
Address
VIA PIER CARLO BOGGIO 61
10138 Torino
Italy
Region
Nord-Ovest Piemonte Torino
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (25)