Building the backbone of a Digital Twin: Data Management in the PANTHEON project

Creating a highly realistic digital twin of emergency situations demands a solid data foundation. For the PANTHEON project, that means integrating a wide range of datasets—from digital surface models to population density and road network information—to power accurate simulations and decision-making tools.

Initial data strategy: 19 datasets, 21 tasks

At the start of the project, 19 key datasets were identified to support 21 different tasks across PANTHEON’s work packages. These initial datasets laid the groundwork for modeling complex urban environments in both Vienna and the Attica region.

Open access and transparency: Publishing on ZENODO

Currently, 6 datasets are publicly available on ZENODO, an open-access research data repository:

2 datasets are fully open access.
4 datasets will be released under an open licence after a 6-month embargo following the project’s conclusion.

This approach aligns with Horizon Europe’s commitment to open science and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles.

Expanding the Dataset portfolio: 44 More identified

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), which leads the project’s data management activities, has identified 44 additional datasets during the project’s implementation. These include:

Pilot-specific datasets, tailored to individual use cases in Vienna and Attica.
7 generic datasets relevant to all pilot scenarios.

Currently, all newly identified datasets are undergoing data curation, a necessary step to ensure data quality, format consistency, and proper metadata annotation.

What’s next: Towards a richer data ecosystem

In the coming months, the curated datasets will be gradually uploaded to ZENODO, enriching the digital infrastructure of PANTHEON. This growing collection of high-quality data will enhance the accuracy and adaptability of the digital twin, making it a powerful tool for emergency preparedness and urban resilience.