July 30, 2025
We’re back with 5 more real-life examples of digital twins in enterprise. We’ve seen Petrobras and ENGIE employ digital twins for asset visualization, TotalEnergies for automation, SEACOMP for virtual tours, AB InBev for operational optimization, Toyota for robotic system programming, BMW for production planning, Lowe’s to optimize store layouts, Renault Group for vehicle design, and more.
Now, learn how companies in automotive, finance, and beyond are leveraging digital twin technology for applications like innovation and stakeholder communication.
CHEVROLET - INNOVATION
The Corvette ZR1 is the “fastest street-legal production car available for less than $1 million.” Before setting a top speed of 233 mph on consecutive runs around a closed track in Papenburg, Germany last October, the ZR1 got its start in the virtual world.
Since GM doesn’t own the Papenberg track, it would have just three hours to test the ZR1 on the “big day” in Germany. Thus, the team turned to VR to calculate every detail “from car alignment to tire pressure” in advance, starting with a highly detailed digital twin of the vehicle.
When it comes to vehicle design, digital twins are usually used to track changes during development. In this case, the ZR1 team used the “virtual vehicle” to simulate everything as accurately as possible, including aerodynamics, engine output, fuel consumption, thrust, etc.
Simulations were first “applied” to run on GM’s own circle track in Michigan in order to compare the car’s virtual and real-world performances for accuracy; while historic weather trends helped determine the ideal time for the German run. By test day, the team had factored in and predicted “everything possible” save for how the driver would feel going around the track at over 200mph.
The ZR1’s final speed of 233.29 mph differed from the simulation-derived number by less than half of a percent! It’s important to remember that simulations are perfect worlds, whereas real life is rarely perfect. Nevertheless, digital twin technology was instrumental in the development of the ZR1, allowing engineers to iterate quickly and safely test the vehicle when appropriate physical space was lacking.
ECHOWATER - PROJECT OPTIMIZATION
The infrastructure industry is plagued by both the old and the new: Aging assets are straining resources, workforces, and supply chains to their limits, causing a backlog. At the same time, people want smarter, greener, even AI-powered structures, making new infrastructure projects increasingly complex.
Take EchoWater, a massive decade-long public works project to upgrade and expand the Sacramento Regional Waste Treatment Plant. Consisting of 22 individual engineering projects often occurring simultaneously, EchoWater required meticulous planning and coordination. Sacramento County Sanitation thus worked with Bentley Systems to create a lifecycle-spanning digital twin of the plant and hired PC3 to manage complex scheduling and costs.
EchoWater involved upgrading existing infrastructure to perform new cutting-edge water treatment processes as well as expanding facilities to include 12+ new concrete structures, pumping stations, and electrical installations–all while the wastewater treatment complex remained active. The team had to perfectly choreograph construction and plan for every major shutdown, integrating multiple supply chains, resource and cost information, etc.
To that end, they used iTwin to create a digital twin perfectly in sync with the physical site and SYNCHRO to simulate construction daily and ensure safety and efficiency at every stage. All stakeholders used the same digital twin, which reflected changes to the physical site in real time, and proved key to completing the project “on time and $400 million under budget.”
From getting all parties to agree on a baseline schedule in a matter of weeks to eliminating data siloes and leaving money on the table for other sustainability initiatives, it cannot be overstated how critical digital twin technology was for streamlining communication, enabling fast decision making, and creating situational awareness on such a busy, multiyear project.
CDT / ATKINSREALIS - STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION
The Colorado Department of Transportation has hired AtkinsRéalis to improve the Mountain Corridor of Colorado’s I-70–a congested and dangerous stretch of highway serving as the main east-west throughway for long-haul truckers and leading to some of the state’s top resorts.
As in the case of the waste treatment plant, the scale (and price tag) of the I-70 project and the many designers, consultants, and other stakeholders involved called for a comprehensive digital twin of the roadway to analyze and model solutions for enhancing mobility and safety while mitigating environmental impact.
The team has focused on an 8-mile stretch of the Corridor, using Bentley’s technology to model all bridges, curves, signs, ramps, intersecting waterways, the mountainous topography, etc. along the route into one digital twin. As design has progressed, specialists can reference the twin to determine/design aspects of the highway in their wheelhouse (e.g. drainage network, underground utility placement.)
Here’s a simplified scope of the project:
- Design a new tolled express lane
- Construct a missing section of frontage road to improve emergency response
- Extend an on-ramp to give slow-moving vehicles more time to merge
- Replace 6 bridges to bring them up to code
- Provide 2 wildlife passageways to enable migration and roaming
- Install 2 permanent air quality monitors
To be clear, the project is ongoing and not expected to finish before 2028. Thus far, the digital twin has greatly simplified communication, making it easier for stakeholders - including the public - to visualize the project. It has also helped to understand the environmental impact, for instance how changes would impact air quality, wildlife movement, etc. Reportedly, digital twin technology is already responsible for 50,000 work hours and $7 million in savings, much of which can be attributed to the ease and speed of sharing data.
HONG KONG INT’L AIRPORT - USER EXPERIENCE
In 2021, Digital Twin Unit began developing a digital twin of Foster + Partners’ iconic Terminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). It would take three years and serve multiple use cases.
Digital twin technology has the potential to impact the entire customer experience at HKIA. The government-owned airport envisions a smart airport that’s managed digitally and can digitally interact with passengers. Imagine, for instance, a digital twin of the terminal automatically checks you in as you enter–no need to approach a desk or kiosk.
Ultimately, the goal is to turn the whole airport into a digital twin. To begin, Digital Twin Unit focused on HKIA’s largest terminal, capturing all nine floors with special attention to passenger-facing areas like arrivals and departures. This required integrating multiple data sources like 2D CAD information, laser scans, information from the airport’s asset management system (structural, mechanical, electrical, etc.), and GIS.
When you link to live data streams such as IoT devices throughout the airport and add simulation technology, that’s when the digital representation “really turns into a digital twin.” In the case of airports, digital twins are helping to predict conditions, identify inefficiencies, simulate future scenarios, and assess impacts. HKIA intends to use its growing digital twin for multiple use cases, including design reviews, understanding the user experience, and planning new construction.
BONUS: BMO BANK - PLANNING
When BMO Bank, one of the largest banks in North America, acquired Bank of the West (BOTW), one internal team had the challenge of transforming 503 BOTW retail branches.
Whereas previously they might have relied on multiple site visits, in this case they used digital twins to streamline visits to all 503 locations and create plans for rebranding and updating each space.
BMO leveraged Matterport’s Capture Services, a global network of expert 3D capture technicians, to generate digital twins of every BOTW branch in just three months, saving around 6,000 hours of equivalent surveying.
The story is essentially a proof of concept for digital twins in property acquisition. Digital twins helped BMO determine necessary design and technology updates, facilitating a swift and smooth transition while minimizing branch disruptions and reducing travel costs. Multiple departments at BMO are reportedly interested in using Matterport’s 3D capture/digital twin technology to save time, money, and carbon emissions on 50+ projects.
Image source: Construction Management
