WS1 Piloting Activities - Technical Inter-connection of Existing LDTs

Brief Overview

This Work Strand focuses on connecting and testing existing Local Digital Twins (LDTs) within a European ecosystem. The goal is to demonstrate interoperability, enable data sharing across domains and borders, and unlock new opportunities for smarter and more resilient communities.

Key facts:

6–8 pilots will be selected
Start of the pilots: May 2026
Duration: 18 months
Funding: 50% co-funding required
Opening of Open Call 1: 14th of November 2025

👉 First open call now OPEN. Check it out here. Apply until 15/01/2026, 23:59 CET.

What is the goal?

Demonstrate interoperability between existing LDTs
Enable cross-domain and cross-border data sharing
Build the foundations for a European federation of LDTs
Unlock innovation opportunities for cities, communities, and providers

Who Are We Looking For?

Municipalities, groups of municipalities, syndicates, or regions, who have a Local Digital Twin in place, with a description and a functional perimeter, and who are willing to share data, models, and services with:
- Other data platforms (LDT, hypervision, etc.)
- Data spaces

Municipalities or regions aiming to:
- Create a data space to link a batch of local data platforms
- Develop a marketplace of services

Consortium composition:

At least 2 public entities (from at least two different eligible countries)
At least 1 other partner from the following:
Private entity (e.g., service provider)
Private association (legal status)
Trusted third party
Representative of a use-case sector

WS1 Requirements:

This is a cheat sheet. For a complete list of requirements, please refer to the open call.

1. Pilot details

🎯 Minimum Conditions

🏛️ 2+ public authorities, each with a digitally mature LDT
🔀 2+ cross-sectoral use cases with one shared service each

🧱 What to Provide

LDT capabilities (dynamic data + services)
Architectures (technical + functional)
→ include diagrams, tools, standards, data lifecycle
Data governance (current ➜ target)
Project team & resources, incl. political + technical commitment
AI/XR usage + ethics/legal safeguards

⭐ Recommendation

LORDIMAS maturity:
Lead: Digitally Optimised
Others: ≥ Moderate

2. Relevance

🎯 Show Alignment With

EU priorities: Green Deal, New European Bauhaus
LDT4SSC objectives

👥 Engagement

End-users involved throughout
Include 3+ Quadruple Helix groups:
public • private • research • civil society

📌 Also Provide

Political endorsement (+ links or documents)
Transferability to other EU communities
Expected EU stacks & infrastructures (Simpl-Open, DSSC, Gaia-X, CitiVERSE…)

3. Implementation

🚀 Project Phases

Explore → Validate → Define → Implement

🛠️ Required Elements

Data governance (incl. legal interoperability)
Business model for long-term sustainability
Consortium contract
Cost–Benefit analysis
Eco-design / frugal AI
Impact assessment (economic • social • environmental)

🌐 Technical Interconnection

Tools, standards, IAM, connectors, knowledge models
Must integrate the Simpl Governance Authority Agent
Technical & functional diagrams for each use case
Shared data models using Linked Data (NGSI-LD / RDF / SPARQL)
Identify MIMs+ used (≥5 foundational)

⭐ Recommendations

Prefer open-source tools and contribute back
Use:
- DCAT catalogue
- Context broker (NGSI-LD/RDF/JSON-LD)
- OAuth2/OIDC/VC IAM
- ODRL-based data policies
Align with LDT Toolbox, Gaia-X, IDSA, DSBA, DSSC, DS4SSCC-DEP

4. Impact

🎯 What to Explain

Why LDT interconnection matters
Expected benefits + long-term impacts
Wider socio-economic + environmental effects
Contractual framework ensuring:
data rights, IP rights, exploitation rights, long-term sustainability

📦 Outputs

Services, tools, data models, assets
Openness level (models must be open-licensed)
Services shared via LDT Toolbox Marketplace
Ongoing documentation updates for Knowledge Hub

⭐ Recommendations

Capture baseline data for the CBA
Assess eco-design maturity at start & end

WS1 Resources

This section provides a set of non-technical and technical resources that are directly targeted to the WS1 scope. These resources are designed to support pilots in preparing their proposals, planning their implementation, and ensuring compliance with interoperability and governance requirements.

Pilots will find these materials extremely relevant, as they provide practical guidance and concrete examples to help them understand what they need to do at each stage of the process. By using these resources, pilots can ensure that their projects are well aligned with the objectives of WS1 and contribute effectively to the broader European Local Digital Twin ecosystem.

Non-Technical Resources

Title	Small Description	Source / Link	Thematic Area
Align Stakeholders on the Data Space Scope	Helpful to build consensus on the data space’s boundaries and goals, ensuring all stakeholders share a clear vision	Link	Data Spaces
The Economics of Data Sharing: Insights from a Legal-Economics Workshop	Provides insights on economic incentives and legal frameworks that can help design sustainable data sharing models.	Link	Data Spaces
MIMS Specification Introduction	Introduces standards for interoperable data management, essential for connecting platforms.	Link	Interoperability / MIMs
DS4SSCC	Guidelines to set up multi-stakeholder governance, crucial for trust and collaboration in data spaces and LDTs.	Link	Data Spaces

Technical Resources

Title	Small Description	Source / Link	Thematic Area
Simpl Open	An open-source software stack powering data spaces and cloud-to-edge federation initiatives.	Simpl Open	Data Spaces
Smart Data Models	Shared, standard and open-licensed data models & validation.	Website · GitHub	Interoperability MIMs
NGSI-LD	Information model and API for publishing, querying and subscribing to context information.	NGSI-LD	Interoperability MIMs
Stellio	NGSI-LD compliant context broker.	GitHub	Local Digital Twins (LDTs)
Scorpio	NGSI-LD compliant context broker.	GitHub	Local Digital Twins (LDTs)
Orion-LD	NGSI-LD compliant context broker.	GitHub	Local Digital Twins (LDTs)