Dublin City University (DCU) is one of Ireland’s leading universities and a hub of high-tech innovation and research.
Dublin City University (DCU) is one of Ireland’s leading universities and a hub of high-tech innovation and research.
With five campuses, over 20,000 students and 3,000 staff from over 100 countries worldwide, the University can offer great insight into how a smart city can function.
Smart Dublin City University Project is a collaboration between Dublin City Council, the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics and DCU Alpha. The goal of Smart DCU is to develop, test and trial cutting-edge technology innovations in a university campus setting before scaling up to city scale.
The Smart DCU project is anchored in three key strategic pillars. It aims to:
- Establishing a Centre of Excellence in ‘Digital Twins for the Built Environment’, positioning DCU as a leader in research and innovation in this emerging field.
- It is also designed to Enhance the Experience for Students, Staff, and Visitors by integrating smart technologies that improve interactions with the campus environment.
- Additionally, Smart DCU seeks to Support Industries in Piloting Smart City Innovations, providing a real-world testing ground for new technologies and solutions.
World’s First Autism-Friendly University
In line with DCU’s distinction as the world’s first autism-friendly university campus, the Smart DCU project is designed to foster an inclusive environment that caters to the diverse needs of all campus users, whether neurotypical or neurodivergent. The project emphasizes creating spaces and interactions that are sensitive to different sensory and cognitive experiences, ensuring that smart technologies enhance accessibility and comfort for everyone. This commitment to inclusivity aligns with DCU’s broader goal of promoting an autism-friendly ethos, making the campus an innovative and welcoming space for all.
DCU Digital Twin Project
Cities are evolving rapidly with the adoption of new technologies and data-driven solutions, creating smarter urban environments that enhance quality of life, sustainability, and socioeconomic growth. A key innovation driving this transformation is digital twin technology, which mirrors physical systems in a digital space using advanced 3D modelling, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, AI, and more. According to J. B. Fernandez et al. (2023), digital twins are revolutionising city management by enabling real-time simulations and improved coordination between communities, researches, authorities, and service providers.
Through the collaborative efforts of Smart DCU and Bentley Systems, DCU has achieved the title of Ireland’s first higher education digital campus. As part of DCU’s Digital Twin Project (led by Dr Ali Intizar) uses Bentley’s iTwin Platform to build a digital twin of DCU’s campuses. DCU Digital Twin is a research project at the Insight Research Centre for Data Analytics which is sponsored by Bentley Systems and one of the core initiatives facilitated by Smart DCU. The project aims to develop digital twins of smart campuses and smart buildings using the emerging technologies including IoT, Computer Vision, AI and Data Analytics.
The DCU Digital Twin project outcomes will be used to develop a digital resource to use space on campus more efficiently and enhance the student experience at DCU by allowing those with sensitivity to noise to find quiet spaces or quiet routes across campus based on input from noise monitoring sensors. The digital twin can be used for emergency management, operations and campus safety, including mobility, waste management, energy efficiency and crowd control. It democratises data visualisation, and empowers agencies and startups to implement intelligent processes, actively shaping the future of their cities.
Digital Twin Use Cases
As part of the broader Smart DCU initiative, our digital twin explores several critical use cases aimed at improving campus safety, management, and learning environments. These include Fire Safety and Evacuation Plans, where the twin is leveraged for planning, training, and executing evacuation strategies. Additionally, the system supports Resources Planning and Optimal Utilisation, offering real-time monitoring and visualization of data on room and building occupancy across indoor and outdoor spaces. The digital twin also enables Simulation of Various Scenarios for “what-if analysis,” providing immersive hybrid teaching and learning environments through advanced simulations and exploratory data analysis.
Mr. Michael O’Donnell (Fire Station Officer), Mr Kieran Mahon (Smart DCU Projects Facilitator), Prof. Noel O’Connor (Insight CEO), Ms. Annabelle Stover (Deputy Dean of Students, DCU), Mr. David Robertson (Director of University Partnerships for Bentley Systems), Mr Dennis Keeley (Dublin Fire Chief), Mr Nicolas Cumins, CEO Bentley Systems, Prof. Daire Keogh (DCU President), Prof. Caroline McMullan (Prof of Business & Society, DCU, Insight Collaborator), Mr Jamie Cudden (Smart Dublin Lead, Dublin City Council), Prof. Ali Intizar (Insight Investigator/DCU academic), Iryna Osadcha (Visiting PhD Student Kaunas University) & Dr Jaime Boaneries Fernandez Roblero (Insight Postdoctoral Researcher).
While the potential of digital twin technology is vast, research on urban digital twins is still emerging. The digital twin of Dublin City University is actively exploring its benefits for smarter campus management, enabling real-time simulations and improved collaboration between campus users, public authorities, service providers, and the academic research community. This approach is helping to drive innovation in urban infrastructure and enhance interactions across various stakeholders, paving the way for future applications.
The wealth of research and start-up expertise within the University makes DCU an ideal Smart District, particularly through the collaboration of Smart DCU’s partners. The Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics, one of Europe’s largest data analytics research organisations, brings cutting-edge expertise in data-driven solutions, while DCU Alpha, DCU’s commercial innovation campus, fosters the growth of research-intensive businesses. In partnership with these, Bentley Systems, a global leader in pioneering software development for infrastructure, integrates its advanced technologies to support the development of smart, sustainable solutions across the campus
The DCU Glasnevin campus, main DCU campus, can be viewed as a microcosm of a city. Many of the challenges faced within the campus mirror those we experience in our day-to-day lives.
Smart DCU projects explore some of the key issues facing urban centres today. How can we improve mobility to, from and around our campuses and beyond? How can we reduce the campus carbon emissions? How can we harness green energy more efficiently?
Smart DCU bridges the gap between research and practice, transferring key learning and knowledge from the latest developments in smart city research, into smart city initiatives.
Bentley’s Founders’ Honors 2023
The Smart DCU Digital Twin project received the Bentley’s Founders’ Honors 2023 under the category of ‘Facilities, Campuses and Cities. Founders’ Honors, chosen individually by Bentley Systems’ founders, are presented to a small number of exemplary projects, individuals, and organisations which particularly inspire Bentley in their company’s mission of advancing the world’s infrastructure while sustaining both the global economy and environment.
To date, Smart DCU has supported a range of pioneering projects, from the trialling of a hydrogen powered bus, e-scooter enabled with GPS computer vision, indoor and outdoor air quality, crowd and occupancy counting to the use of technology to support DCU’s status as the world’s first Autism Friendly University.
To learn more about Smart DCU see our projects and updates below:
or contact:
Kieran Mahon
Smart DCU Projects Facilitator Manager
kieran@smartdcu.ie
Alshema Mousa
Smart DCU Projects Officer
Ali Intizar, PhD
Smart DCU Digital Twin Project Lead
ali.intizar@dcu.ie
Jaime B Fernandez, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
jaimeboanerjes.fernandezroblero@dcu.ie