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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 Cheat Sheet:

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

🎯 Minimum Conditions

  • 🏛️ 2+ public authorities, each with a digitally mature LDT (Rq1)
  • 🤝 At least 1 aditional private entity partner
  • 🔀 2+ cross-sectoral use cases with one shared service each (Rq2)

📋 Describe in the Application Form

  • LDTs and their capabilities (dynamic data + services) (Rq3)

  • Architectures (technical + functional) (Rq4)

    → include diagrams, tools, standards, data lifecycle

  • Data governance (Rq5)

    current ➜ target

  • Project management, incl. political + technical support (Rq6)

  • AI/XR usage + ethics/legal safeguards (Rq7)

  • Alignment with EU priorities and projects (Rq8)

    → Green Deal, New European Bauhaus

    → LDT4SSC objectives

  • Engagement of stakeholders from the Quadruple Helix (Rq10)

    public • private • research • civil society

  • Relevance and replicability (Rq11)

  • EU technology stack and infrastructure to be used (Rq12)

    → SIMPL, DSSC, ...

    → LDT CitiVERSE EDIC, Gaia-X, ...

  • Project phases (Rq13)

    Explore → Validate → Define → Implement

  • Technical interconnection, including tools, softwares, standards (Rq14)

    → Demonstrate usage of SIMPL Governance Authority Agent

  • Ambition and rationale for interconnecting LDTs (Rq19)

  • Tangible benefits and long-term impacts (Rq20)
  • Socio-economic and environmental effects (Rq21)
  • Maintenance and expansion of services and activities (Rq24)

🧱 Provide as complementary material

  • 2 draft diagrams (technical + functional) per use case (Rq15)
  • Contractual framework guaranteeing the sustainability of the LDTs
  • Letter of Commitment with political endorsement (Rq9)
  • Ownership and Control Declaration
  • Financial form
  • Ethics and data protection assessment

🛠️ Adopt during the project

  • Active engagement of end-users (Rq10)
  • Linked Data Ontology (MIM1) for semantic consistency (Rq16)
  • At least 5 foundational MIMs Plus for engagement (Rq18)
  • Open data models, to be shared back to stakeholders (Rq23)
  • The LDT Toolbox Marketplace for service sharing (Rq23)
  • The LDT4SSC's Knowledge Hub for regular documentation and updates (Rq23)

✏️ Specify upon application

  • Data, assets, or services to be shared (Rq17)
  • Sectors involved, main providers, beneficiaries (Rq17)
  • The MIMs Plus (MIM0-MIM8) project will engage with (Rq18)
  • Equivalent open-source solution, in case of proprietary components (Rq23)

⭐ Recommendations

  • Assess LORDIMAS maturity (Rc1)

    → Pilot Lead: Digitally Optimised

    → Others: ≥ Moderate

  • Use open-source components (Rc2)

  • Include in agreement Intellectual Property and exploitation rights (Rc3)

  • Technically stablish (Rc4):

    → Data catalogue using DCAT vocabulary

    → A data management system with contextualised metadata capacities

    → Identity and access management (OAuth2, OpenID Connect, Verifiable Credentials)

  • Pursue alignment with upcoming LDT Toolbox (Rc5)

  • Describe compliance with frameworks (Rc6):

    → Gaia-X, IDSA, DSBA, DSSC

  • Record baseline data (for meaningful comparisons) (Rc7)

  • Assess maturity in eco-design (Rc8)

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 Domain
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 Domain
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)