A new digital twin that helps plan shipping routes and green areas
The Horizon Europe-funded TerraDT project is set to transform climate modelling by integrating glaciers, sea ice, vegetation, and aerosols into high-resolution digital twin simulations. These advancements will improve climate impact assessments and provide decision-making tools for urban planning, infrastructure development, and environmental policies.
As part of Europe’s broader Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative, TerraDT is closely linked to the Biodiversity Digital Twin (BioDT) by expanding digital twin capabilities to model ecosystem dynamics, climate interactions, and biodiversity resilience. Both projects share the mission of leveraging cutting-edge high-performance computing (HPC) resources, such as LUMI and MareNostrum 5, to develop precise, actionable insights for sustainability and environmental protection.
Strengthening the Digital Twin Ecosystem
While BioDT focuses on biodiversity, modelling species interactions and ecosystem changes, TerraDT enhances climate twin modelling, capturing the influence of cryospheric elements and aerosols on climate systems. Together, these projects contribute to the next-generation European Digital Twin ecosystem, ensuring that biodiversity and climate are jointly considered in adaptation and mitigation strategies.
With the collaboration of 18 European partners, TerraDT will run until 2029, delivering a high-resolution, interactive user interface that allows stakeholders to ask "what-if" questions - just as BioDT does for biodiversity scenarios. These synergies highlight the critical role of digital twins in shaping a data-driven, sustainable future.