Siemens has unveiled a digital twin and AI-powered urban development project within Germany’s capital, Berlin. The neighbourhood, to be called ‘Siemensstadt Square,’ will house up to 7,000 people over roughly 188 acres of floor space. According to the industrial technology firm, its Siemens Xcelerator platform will introduce technologies such as digital twins and AI to […]
Siemens has unveiled a digital twin and AI-powered urban development project within Germany’s capital, Berlin.
The neighbourhood, to be called ‘Siemensstadt Square,’ will house up to 7,000 people over roughly 188 acres of floor space.
According to the industrial technology firm, its Siemens Xcelerator platform will introduce technologies such as digital twins and AI to make the district “livable and fit for the future.”
The aim is to develop a 100-year-old industrial site, situated in Berlin’s Spandau area, and bring together manufacturing, research, learning and living.
According to the announcement, a third of the space will comprise social housing and 20,000 jobs will be created through numerous companies and partners.
Through connectivity and smart data, a digital twin of the district has been created and will detect any errors happening within the area and thus avoided in the real world.
The digital twin will also be used to plan further improvements in the area before physically implementing it.
The virtual replica consolidates three separate twins created by Siemens: a campus twin, a building twin, and an energy twin.
The campus twin brings together relevant data such as building information and planning status, the building twin presents photorealistic replanning of the existing area, and the energy twin is used to generate energy forecasts.
UK launches industry-focussed digital twin in Belfast
Alongside this, with the help of data analysis, AI will optimise energy efficiency, traffic and waste management and will also enable energy forecasting.
Plus, Siemens claims it will install a wastewater heat exchanger at the location, which will combine with heat pumps to start supplying the district with 100% carbon-neutral heating and cooling in 2026.
The electricity required for the system will be generated from renewable and local energy sources.
While the physical construction phase has only just begun, visitors and partners will be able to “walk-in” to the digital twin of Siemensstadt Square in a showroom at the location – as unveiled by the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
“This laying of the foundation stone is encouraging. Because it shows what we can already achieve in Germany today – in urban planning and in the construction of modern neighbourhoods,” Scholz said at the ceremony.
Siemens is investing €750 million into the space, and it expects a total investment of €4.5 billion by 2035.
