The concept of digital twins is rapidly emerging as an experimentation aid to help decision-making activities, such as (i) understand why a system is the way it is, (ii) prepare for possible outlier conditions; and (iii) identify plausible solutions for mitigating the outlier conditions in an evidence-backed manner. However, its effective use is limited to physical and cyber-physical systems that are governed by well established laws. Effective exploitation of digital twin is yet to be seen for techno-socio-economic systems that are characterized by the system-of-systems nature, inherent uncertainty and dynamic operating environments.

This workshop brings together leading researchers and practitioners across a wide spectrum of related fields to explore the challenges involved in effective utilization of digital twin technologies for techno-socio-economic systems, and to exchange ideas, concepts, approaches that aim to address associated challenges. Our key focus to address the following central issues:

Invited Speakers

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  Ajit Kembhavi

  

  Professor Ajit Kembhavi

  Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune

  Ajit Kembhavi is Professor Emeritus at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. He was Director there until August 2015. He leads the Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC), which works on projects related to environment, sustainability, health, big data & AI, and capacity building. Kembhavi works on extragalactic and high energy astrophysics the application of data analytics AI to astronomy and biology. He has published a large number of research papers and several books in English and Marathi. He is involved in many national and international collaborations and is one of the key persons responsible for India joining the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) and the LIGO India projects. He has led the Virtual Observatory-India project and the International Virtual Observatory Alliance. Kembhavi has been a member of the Space Commission of the Government of India and is presently a member of the ISRO’s Apex Science Board. He was Vice-President of the International Astronomical Union and President, Astronomical Society of India.

  
  Title: Data Analytics and AI Challenges for the General Good

  Abstract: Issues related to environment, sustainability and health, which greatly impact the general population are increasingly becoming data driven. Data analytics and AI are very necessary for understanding the complex data and to draw useful conclusions. I will consider in my talk several examples of such data driven investigations. I will also consider how techniques developed in fields like astronomy can be easily adapted to other fields.

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  Anurag Asawa

  

  Professor Anurag Asawa

  Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune

  Prof. Anurag Asawa is an econometrician and a monetary economist. His research area is resource economics, and his work is primarily empirical in nature, based on large surveys. He works on several projects in parallel with academics and research. He has worked with Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA), and municipal corporations of Mumbai and Pune. He was actively involved in setting up two new postgraduate programs and one undergraduate program for his institute.

  
  Title: Interaction between AI/ML and Social Science: A Need of the Hour of the Hour but How?

  Abstract: There is no doubt that we need to have a presence of AI/ML in social science research but the type of information we have and the way we handle the issues, there is a big gap between the two. The lack of good quality data hinders the interactions of two different fields. The heterogeneity in the social science problem makes it very difficult use AL/ML to provide and implementable solution.

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  Jayendran Venkateswaran

  

  Professor Jayendran Venkateswaran

  Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

  Jayendran Venkateswaran (JV) is an Institute Chair Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at IIT Bombay, where he has been a faculty since 2005. His current research and teaching interests are in systems thinking, system dynamics, agent-based modeling & simulation, discrete-event simulation, supply chain & sustainability and OR for development. He loves tinkering with Python, R and other open source tools. He is passionate about popularising Operations Research, Simulation and Systems Thinking to help further the understanding of complex socio-economic problems. He has several publications in leading journals and conferences to his credit. He has guided 9 doctoral students and 40+ graduate (Masters’) students. He is also currently the Head of IEOR department.

  
  Title: Exploratory Modelling & Analysis for Managing Deep Uncertainty

  Abstract Robust decision are becoming increasingly important as compared with optimal decisions, for we want decisions that work effectively in the real-world strife with uncertainty. Uncertainty can be different levels form certainty to deep uncertainty. Exploratory Modelling and Analysis (EMA) is meant to specifically cope with deep uncertainty. It uses computational approaches to analyse complex and uncertain issues. In this talk we will discuss EMA approach, the use of simulations and AI tools, and python-based workbench for analysis of complex systems. Apart from a general overview, this talk will also discuss applications.

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  Philipp Zech

  

  Philipp Zech

  University of Innsbruck

  Philipp Zech is an Assistant Professor at the University of Innsbruck, Department of Computer Science. He is a trained researcher and software engineer with a strong focus on software development and testing, model-driven development and testing, and machine learning. His current research focuses on the creation and operation of digital twins using model repositories.

  
  Title: Digital Twins? Yes, but how?

  Abstract The potential of digital twins is without a doubt. Unfortunately, however, a digital twin is not a one-man show but requires the collaboration of many stakeholders. This is especially paramount in the event of building digital twins of systems of systems, e.g., smart buildings or cities. This situation is aggravated by the fact that most stakeholders rely on their own tools and modeling formalisms eventually yielding a fractured delivery landscape. Based on this observation, we advocate a digital twin repository in the spirit of traditional model repositories for creating and operating virtual replicas of digital twins throughout the lifecycle of the twinned system. In this talk, Philipp Zech will present industrial experiences on the different uses of such a model repository to support the creation and operation of digital twins throughout the lifecycle of the twinned systems.

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  Saumil Merchant

  

  Saumil Merchant

  Shell Technology Center, Bangalore

  Saumil Merchant is a researcher in the computational and digital sciences organization at Shell Technology Center Bangalore. Prior to joining Shell in 2013, he worked as a HPC Performance Analyst at IBM India Labs. He holds a doctorate in Computer Engineering from University of Tennessee, Knoxville and has wide research interests ranging from advanced visualizations, high performance computing architectures and programming models, machine learning, and Blockchain.

  
  Title: Role of Digital Twin in Decarbonization of our Energy Systems

  Abstract Decarbonization of our Energy Systems is one of the biggest challenges facing humankind today. This is a multifaceted problem with many complex challenges spanning technology, geopolitics, economics, development and justice. Easy access to energy is one of the key ingredients which power economies and lift masses out of poverty. Hence the needed transition of the global energy systems to a cleaner future necessitates that society have easy access to more and cleaner energy. Digital has a key role to play to achieve this transition. This talk will focus on role of Digital in this journey and narrowing down further, focus on the digital twin technology and its role as we see it in Shell.

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  Varun Ramamohan

  

  Varun Ramamohan

  Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

  Dr. Varun Ramamohan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University (USA), and an undergraduate degree in engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Trichy, India. He worked as an Associate Director of Health Economics at the Research Triangle Institute International in North Carolina, USA, prior to joining IIT Delhi. His research interests include probabilistic modeling, simulation, and simulation optimization, with applications in healthcare delivery, health economics and policy, and biomedical engineering.

  
  Title: Introduction to Stochastic Simulation with Applications in Healthcare Delivery Systems

  Abstract In this talk, we provide a brief introduction to stochastic simulation modeling, and describe three key modelling paradigms within this field: Monte Carlo, discrete-event and agent-based simulations. We will discuss similarities and differences between digital twins and system simulations. A brief outline of simulation-based optimization will also be provided. Applications of discrete-event and agent-based simulations, with examples of the use of simulation optimization, in the healthcare delivery systems and health economics and policy areas will then be presented.