Future of Infrastructure Group and Arup outline a roadmap for accelerating digital twin adoption across Canadian infrastructure delivery systems.
Future of Infrastructure Group and Arup have jointly launched Unlocking Digital Twins in Canada, a white paper setting out a national roadmap for digital transformation in infrastructure. The initiative reflects increasing demand for digital twin strategy for infrastructure, data-driven asset management, and digital construction innovation in Canada.
Canada is currently experiencing sustained investment in major infrastructure programmes. However, infrastructure project delays, cost overruns in construction, and fragmented delivery models continue to limit performance outcomes. The report identifies digital twins as a mechanism to address these systemic inefficiencies across asset lifecycles.
What digital twins mean for digital construction
A digital twin in infrastructure is defined as a dynamic virtual representation of a physical asset that integrates real-time and historical data. Unlike static models, digital twins enable continuous data exchange between physical and digital environments, supporting real-time infrastructure monitoring, predictive asset maintenance, and data-driven decision-making in construction.
The paper positions digital twins not simply as a technology layer, but as a methodology underpinning digital engineering workflows, connected data ecosystems, and integrated project delivery models. This aligns with broader industry shifts toward ISO-aligned data standards, common data environments (CDEs), and interoperability in construction technology.
Measurable benefits of digital twin adoption
The report highlights evidence showing that implementing digital twin technology in infrastructure projects can improve both capital and operational efficiency by 20–30%. These gains are linked to enhanced project lifecycle management, reduced rework, and improved coordination across stakeholders.
“Digital twins can help designers, engineers, contractors, and owners make the most of their data, giving them a greater understanding of what’s happening with complex projects in real time,” said Lindsay English, Arup’s Americas Digital Rail Leader and Chair of the FIG Digital & Data Working Group. “This paper is a practical roadmap considering the people, process, technology and data transformations necessary to realise the potential of digital twins for more efficient, resilient projects nationwide.”
Industry collaboration driving digital twin implementation
The white paper was developed through a year-long industry collaboration led by Arup and involving FIG’s Digital & Data Working Group. Experts from industry, government, and academia contributed to identifying barriers to digital twin adoption, including inconsistent data standards, skills shortages, and fragmented governance frameworks.
“Infrastructure projects involve complex webs of organisations who all rely on each other to deliver projects successfully. Communication is critical and the data created provides a huge opportunity to drive improvements in how we plan, deliver, and operate infrastructure,” said John Allen, Executive Director of Future of Infrastructure Group. “Technology can be a truly transformative force if we provide the rules, the processes, and prepare the people to get the most out of it.”
Case study: digital twin pilot in Toronto
A practical example highlighted in the report is the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension in Toronto. Arup collaborated with Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx to deliver a digital twin pilot for the project.
The implementation demonstrates how digital twin use cases in rail infrastructure can improve coordination, identify clashes early, and enhance construction sequencing. This aligns with industry demand for BIM and digital twin integration and advanced project visualisation tools.
Policy and roadmap recommendations
The report sets out a structured roadmap for scaling digital twin adoption in Canada, calling for a national digital twin framework supported by consistent data standards, regulatory alignment, and targeted investment in skills development.
Recommendations include expanding early-stage pilot projects, embedding digital twin requirements in procurement, and strengthening cross-sector collaboration. The roadmap also emphasises the need for digital skills training in construction, ensuring the workforce can support increasingly data-centric delivery models.
The white paper was formally launched in Toronto, where Todd McCarthy reinforced the government’s commitment to innovation.
“As Ontario delivers the largest infrastructure plan in its history, our government is embracing digital tools that help build projects better and faster,” he said. “These technologies can strengthen project delivery, support jobs, and help us build stronger, more resilient communities.”
The roadmap establishes digital twins as foundational to modern infrastructure systems, requiring coordinated action across policy, standards, skills, and technology to achieve measurable improvements in delivery, performance, and resilience.
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