Social and Human Dimensions of Digital Twin Technologies in Formal and Informal Institutional Settings

The proliferation of digital technologies with visualization-rich capabilities has been in the forefront of innovation for the past few years. Bridging the digital gap both across global, regional, and local communities, as well as within societal groups is an issue requiring consideration and attention when considering the impact of these digital technologies in our communities at large. The chapter examines the role of digital twin technologies in addressing capacities and capabilities with respect to the digital divide. It addresses the role of advanced and complex visualization technologies and big data to empower citizens in vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in increasing participation in policy and governance in public institutional settings. The study offers a set of guiding principles and goals in positively and constructively addressing inclusiveness, representativeness, equality and empowerment in collaborative public digital institutions and the management of the commons. More specifically: the need for broad consensus and scope; properly framing opportunities and challenges within an institutional framework; addressing normative, implementational and strategic dimensions for institutional digital twins; encapsulating digital divide, digital inequalities and socio-technical aspects of institutional change; adopting a coupled cognitive and institutional approach to capacity and capability development; incorporating genuine intelligent data and decision-centric aspects of technology; develop co-management and bottom-up participatory structures, and; balance proactive with reactive development and feedback mechanisms for digital twin development.