However, excessive pursuit of digital technology and AI could lead to less focus on practical applications, resulting in insufficient integration of business rules and geometric models. "Application matters most, but 80 percent of digital twins are useless," Qiu Baoxing revealed, noting that for DT technology, application scenarios including smart governance, urban construction management, general urban management, and emergency management are of paramount importance.

Yang Tao echoes that view. "A fancy model does not necessarily work well," he said. Digital twin cities must be tailored to solve specific problems in different scenarios, he added, and optimization of urban governance cannot rely solely on technological improvements, but requires corresponding changes made in the objects and systems served or affected, so that social and technical systems will interact with each other and evolve together.

Collaborative Governance Model

CAICT's Digital Twin City Research Report (2022) designated the period 2020-2030 as a stage of fast growth for China's digital twin industry during which both the DT market and technology are developing in full swing.

However, cities represent a system far more complex than a space vehicle, an industrial product, or a building. They involve social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors as well as many other aspects. Humans are the main component of a city, and their different goals and behaviors can lead to various uncertainties in the process of urban governance. Application scenarios for digital twins are complex, involving multiple factors and requiring multi-sectoral collaboration. Currently, one major challenge faced by all fields is a lack of collaboration among the government, high-tech firms, and relevant entities.

In 2015, Singapore launched the "Virtual Singapore" project to build a 1:1 scale model of 3D Singapore. Alongside improving relevant policies and regulations, the city-state placed an emphasis on enhancing public participation in digital governance, encouraging citizens to transform from consumers of smart city services to creators and contributors. The government rolled out incentives for the market to provide cutting-edge technology, effective productivity, and adequate financial support to inspire all parties to collaborate while enabling their full potential. By embedding technology in policies, products, and services, Singapore's model of collaborative digital governance reshaped the value chains for the government, businesses, and the public and improved urban governance.

In contrast, DT technology is still in its early stages of development in most other ASEAN countries. According to Shi Le from the International Logistics Division of JD Logistics, ASEAN countries vary in the development of DT technology despite the rising trend of global digitalization as well as strong domestic demand for digital management in each country. Seeking to tackle the issue, the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Cooperation Work Plan 2023-2027 pledged to "enhance cooperation on smart and sustainable cities development in the region through ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) and ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Strategy (ASUS)."

DT technology represents a new model of development driving profound changes in industries. Yang Tao suggested ASEAN countries enhance collaboration, strengthen top-level design, promote institutional innovation, and gradually integrate digital twins into national overall development by starting from transportation infrastructure, green energy, and integration of industrial and supply chains.

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SOURCE China Report ASEAN