Digital Twins are a critical enabler of innovation across complex systems. However, widespread adoption in the Maritime, Aerospace, and Defence sectors remains constrained by challenges in interoperability, security, and data trustworthiness.
The Digital Twin Academic R&D Accelerator, delivered by the UK Digital Twin Centre, is a 11 month innovation and research programme designed to generate practical, scalable research outputs that directly support industry adoption of Digital Twin technologies. It will provide a collaborative, low-risk environment to test, validate, and demonstrate scalable research outputs, bridging the gap between academic insight and industrial application.
Applicants must focus on one of two industry-defined challenges:
1. Digital Twin Operations (DTOps)
Traditional DevOps and DevSecOps frameworks struggle to meet the lifecycle and cyber-physical demands of digital twins.
Projects in this area should explore:
- Persistent model management over long operational lifetimes
- Continuous verification and compliance across cyber-physical systems
- Real-time data synchronisation and security integration
2. Security & Trustworthiness for Digital Twins
Digital Twins integrate diverse data sources and systems, amplifying conventional security and trust challenges.
Projects should address:
- Novel trust and security models for heterogeneous systems
- Methods for maintaining secure alignment between physical and virtual representations
- Enhanced resilience and data assurance across digital twin ecosystems
What’s on offer
Successful applications will receive up to £225,000 to conduct feasibility studies, product methodologies and develop a PoC to address one of these challenges, along with:
- Access to the state of the art, UK Digital Twin Centre in Belfast
- Support from Digital Catapult’s technology experts in our enabling technology areas
- Opportunities to co-develop with industry, gaining access to real-world insights from the Maritime, Aerospace and Defence sectors
- A platform to translate research into tangible impact, moving from theory to demonstrable, scalable innovation
- Help to build cross-sector connections and accelerate the adoption of digital twin technologies
Who can apply?
The UK Digital Twin Centre welcomes applications from:
- UK-based universities and research & technology organisations (RTOs)
- Research groups working in Digital Twin related areas such as:
- AI and Machine Learning
- Data Science
- Cybersecurity
- Systems Integration
- Industrial engineering
Applications are open until Wed 11 February 2026.