The potential of digital twinning to drive Games optimisation

In March, the IOC brought together experts from various internal departments, including the IKL team, OBS, Worldwide Olympic Partner Intel and other specialised providers, for a two-day workshop to delve into the digital transformation of the Games. In particular, the participants explored how digital twinning can improve Games delivery and experience, while enhancing sustainability, scalability and cost effectiveness.

But what is a digital twin exactly? In short, a digital twin uses data streams to create a digital representation of a real-world asset, for instance an Olympic venue, to improve collaboration, information access and decision-making.

In the Games context, digital twinning has the potential to serve many purposes: optimising Games planning and thereby delivery (e.g. providing accessibility to the most up-to-date planning and event delivery information, and reducing planning overlaps); offering learning opportunities and supporting readiness exercises (e.g. enabling client walkthroughs or orientation training before the venue is physically ready); use during event operations (e.g. as data repositories for safety plans, client journeys, transport plans, etc.); and enhanced fan experience (e.g. in the metaverse).

Digital twinning at Olympic events

The concept of digital twinning is not new and is trending in key stadiums across the globe. Digital twins peaked on Gartner’s Hype Cycle in 2018 and are set to reach the “plateau of productivity” from 2024. Notably, digital twinning has already been tested at Olympic events. For the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Lausanne 2020, an AR app was rolled out to demonstrate the capabilities of digital twinning for fan experience. The app mapped four outdoor venues and provided fans with the opportunity to fly over venues, drop into the middle of them and have gamified interactions with mascot Yodli. For the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, a VR training module complemented the operational readiness programme and enabled Venue Managers to work with simulated real-world tools in a stadium environment which generated high user engagement. At the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, venue simulation systems were used to support the planning of broadcasting, security and functional spaces. With the creation of digital twins of almost all their venues, the Paris 2024 organisers have taken these initiatives to the next level, aiming to optimise Games planning.

Working towards a reusable and modular solution

Brianne Camilleri – Head of Operations Integration in the IOC’s Olympic Games Department – who led the two-day workshop in March, explained: “Various Olympic Movement stakeholders have been working on separate projects for different purposes. It’s time to build synergies and establish a digital twinning framework which can serve as a reusable and modular solution for OCOGs, supporting the lifecycle of their planning and delivery, and beyond. After the Games, the digital twins can remain relevant not only for transfer of knowledge but also in providing a legacy for the venue owners and hosts.”

The initiative is fully aligned with key principles of Olympic Agenda 2020 such as driving cost reduction, sustainability and engagement with communities in the Games context, as well as the efforts of the Games Optimisation Group.

Unlocking significant efficiencies

“There are many different ways to leverage digital twins, be it for planning, problem solving, engagement or revenue generation,” said Gavin McAlpine, the IOC’s Olympic Games Delivery Associate Director, after the workshop. He added: “From my understanding, digital twinning potentially enables new ways of working, new processes, and ultimately a new culture and behaviour which can unlock significant efficiencies for OCOGs and their delivery partners. It’s a very exciting and positive evolution, but the devil is in the detail.”

Importance of data standardisation and data integrity

Indeed, this ambitious project is not without challenges. A digital twin is useful for the IOC’s purposes only if it is accurate to its reality. To achieve this, both data standardisation and data integrity are key. Only with data standardisation will AI be able to “read” the data from its source (CAD) to create the twin. In addition, data integrity, which is the maintenance and assurance of data accuracy and consistency over its entire lifecycle, is a critical aspect to the design, implementation and usage of any system that stores, processes or retrieves data. It’s also essential to establish a legal framework and clarify IP issues to ensure the long-term use and legacy of a digital twin. Getting the right foundations to accommodate the right use cases is key.

Determining the highest value use cases

In the workshop follow-up, the IOC will now address these challenges and move forward by determining the highest value use cases and related technical requirements. As the use cases are almost endless, they were categorised into the six major streams of venue planning, stakeholder support and engagement, operational readiness, fan experience, legacy, and operational efficiencies (real-time monitoring of venue operations), which cover the entire OCOG lifecycle. It will be important to evaluate each use case against solving a business problem, understand the technical implications and carefully analyse the return on investment. Throughout the project, the IOC will work closely with the future OCOGs and relevant stakeholders to map their resources and needs, understand their challenges and identify how digital twinning can best support them.