Building Digital Twin Scientific Conference 2025 May 15 banner

Building Digital Twin Scientific Conference (BDTSC)

We invite you to the first Building Digital Twin Scientific Conference (BDTSC) on May 15 in Kaunas. Event is organized by Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), SmartWins project and Building Digital Twin Association (BDTA), and in conjunction with the BDTIC (Building Digital Twin International Congress). Scopus-indexed conference proceedings will be published by Springer, the indexing in WoS will be revised after review by the WoS Expert Group.

The 3-day event will offer networking and clustering opportunities thanks to the collaboration of the European Commission on the first day – Brokerage Event, in depth knowledge sharing during workshops and round table sessions – BDTIC, and research focused scientific conference BDTSC on the third day. Taking place at KTU’s central campus, a renowned centre for digital twin technology, the congress offers a unique opportunity to experience Kaunas, a UNESCO-listed city famous for its Modernist architecture.

Countdown to the conference

Main information

About Conference

Digital twins have gained significant momentum in the built environment in recent years. While there are many inspiring examples already developed, the field still requires further progress in creating a common language, shared frameworks, ontologies, interoperability, security, and more to fully harness the potential for more sustainable and resilient buildings and infrastructure. Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), a regional leader in digital twin development, will host several events on this topic in May 2025. In collaboration with the Building Digital Twin Association (BDTA) and the SmartWins project, we invite you to attend some or all of the following events:

May 13, 2025 – Brokerage event on HE Cluster 4: Digital, Industry, and Space – a registration-only, free event to expand your network and establish partnerships for Horizon Europe and other projects. This event is organized in conjunction with the SustAInLivWork project.
May 14, 2025 – 5th Building Digital Twin International Congress – organized by BDTA and hosted by KTU, featuring workshops and presentations on digital twin innovations with participants from industry, NGOs, municipalities, and global researchers.
May 15, 2025 – 1st Building Digital Twin Scientific Conference (BDTSC2025) – a scientific conference exploring state-of-the-art research in digital twins for the built environment, part of the SmartWins project and organized by KTU, with support from BDTA.

Additionally, a separate event, the PhD Spring School, will be held at KTU from May 19-23, organized by KTU’s Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, the Centre for Smart Cities and Infrastructure, and Bentley Systems. More details on this event will be announced in December 2024.

The SmartWins project, a key initiative to enhance Kaunas University of Technology’s (KTU) research capacities in sustainable energy and building technologies, plays a pivotal role in enabling the 1st Building Digital Twin Scientific Conference (BDTSC2025). By establishing a collaborative network between KTU’s Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment Research Group (SEBERG) and leading global institutions in energy assessment and sustainability, SmartWins drives advancements in digital twin technologies and sustainable building practices.

Scopus-indexed conference proceedings will be published by Springer, the indexing in WoS will be revised after review by the WoS Expert Group.

This important initiative unfolds in Kaunas, Lithuania, a city rich in history and culture. Kaunas, a former European Capital of Culture in 2022 and the only Hanseatic city in Lithuania is renowned for its Modernist architecture from 1919-1939, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage list, home to KTU, one of the largest technical universities in the Baltics and a leader in digital twin technologies.

The city is conveniently accessible via Kaunas International Airport by bus or car, or by bus or rail from the capital, Vilnius.

Conference Topics

1. Framework of Digital Twins

Standards, Regulatory, and Legal Framework for Digital Twins
Digital Twin Ontologies, Interoperability, and Semantic Streams
Ethics, Security, and Privacy of DT Ecosystems

2. Smart, Sustainable, and Resilient Environments

Smart, Sustainable, and Resilient Built Environment with Digital Twins
IoT for Intelligent Built Environments
Digital Twins in Construction, Safety, and Logistics

3. Automation and Advanced Technologies

Automating Design and Compliance with Digital Twins and Semantic Web
AI and Predictive Maintenance in Digital Twin Applications
IT Infrastructure of Digital Twin Platforms

4. Citizen Engagement

Engaging Citizens and Users through Immersive Digital Twins
Inclusive and Accessible Urban Spaces through Digital Twins

5. Capacity and Skills

Education, Training, and Skills Development

Scopus-indexed conference proceedings will be published by Springer, the indexing in WoS will be revised after review by the WoS Expert Group.

Committee

Chair of Committee

Paris A. Fokaides,

Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania), Frederick University (Cyprus)

Ali Intizar

Dublin City University, Ireland

Andrius Jurelionis

Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania

Angelo Ciribini

Università degli Studi di Brescia, Italy

Darius Pupeikis

Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania

Dimosthenis Ioannidis

Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas, Greece

Edmond Saliklis

California Polytechnic State University, USA

Farzad Pour Rahimian

Teesside University, UK

Ioannis Brilakis

University of Cambridge, UK

Kjeld Svidt

Aalborg University, Denmark

Lavinia Chiara Tagliabue

University of Turin, Italy

Livio Mazzarella

Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Qian Wang

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Rossano Scoccia

Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Sanju Tiwari

Sharda University, Greater Noida, India

Targo Kalamees

Tallinn University, Estonia

Timo Hartmann

Technical University of Berlin, Germany

Vangelis Angelakis

Linköping University, Sweden

Vishal Singh

Indian Institute of Science, India

Pieter Pauwels

Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands

Pedro Meda Magalhães

University of Porto, Portugal

Programme of the conference

Tuesday, May 13 Brokerage event on EC Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space
TBA
Wednesday, May 14 The BDTIC is the 5th international conference dedicated to Building Digital Twins (organized by BDTA).
TBA
19:00	Welcome reception of The Building Digital Twin Scientific Conference
Thursday, May 15 The Building Digital Twin Scientific Conference (BDTSC2025) main day
8:30-9:00	Arrival and registration
9:00-9:15	Opening of the conference. Greetings from: Scientific Chair Paris A. Fokaides and Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture Andrius Jurelionis
9:15-10:15	Keynotes Ioannis Brilakis – Digital Twinning the Built Environment Paris A. Fokaides – Transforming Built Environment Research through Digital Twin Integration Farzad Pour Rahimian – Integrated BIM, Blockchain, and Multimodal Data-Driven Digital Twins for AEC Industry Digitalization QnA with Keynote speakers
10:30-11:00	Coffee break
11:00-13:30	Parallel sessions
13:30-14:30	Lunch
14:30-16:00	Parallel sessions
16:00-16:20	Coffee break
16:20-18:00	Parallel sessions
18:00-18:30	Closing session

Important Dates

5 January 2025	Abstract submission deadline (optional)
20 January 2025	Notification of acceptance of abstracts
23 February 2025	Full paper submission deadline
10 April 2025	Notification of paper review decisions
11 April 2025	Early bird registration deadline
20 April 2025	Presenter’s registration deadline
28 April 2025	Camera-ready papers
5 May 2025	Participants online registration deadline

Submission Guide

The BDTSC conference invites researchers and professionals to contribute to the advancement of digital twins across various topics. These include framework development and standardization, use cases for resilient and sustainable built environments, automation, citizen engagement, and capacity development. The conference takes a multidisciplinary approach and welcomes original research papers that showcase innovations in digital twins at multiple levels – from urban to building-scale applications.

Abstract, Paper Submission, and Registration Guidelines

Abstract Submission (Optional):
- While we highly encourage submitting an abstract by 5 January 2025, this step is optional. Missing the abstract deadline will not disqualify your paper submission.
- Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words and must be written in English.
- Ensure your abstract is informative and provides a concise summary of your paper.
- All abstracts must be submitted via our online portal. Submissions via email or other methods will not be accepted.
- Abstracts will be reviewed by the scientific committee, and feedback will be provided to guide final paper submissions.
Paper Submission:
- Full papers are due by 23 February 2025.
- Manuscripts should be 6–12 pages in length, including tables, figures, and images, all of which must be clearly labelled and of high quality.
- Papers must be written in English and thoroughly checked for grammar and language errors before submission.
- All submissions will undergo a peer review process, in which each paper is evaluated by at least two independent experts.
Conference Registration:
- For a paper to be included in the conference proceedings and scheduled for presentation, at least one author must register for the conference.
- Authors will be notified of paper acceptance by 10 April 2025.
- The early bird registration fee applies until 11 April 2025.
- The final registration deadline is 5 May 2025.
Publication:
- Accepted papers will be published in Scopus-indexed conference proceedings. Authors might be invited to publish their manuscript in special issues of scientific journals.

Conference proceedings

Scopus-indexed conference proceedings will be published by Springer, the indexing in WoS will be revised after review by the WoS Expert Group. The proceedings will include original and recent research on the topics presented at the conference. Springer does not accept technical papers. The size of the article to be published in the proceedings will be a minimum of 6 pages and a maximum of 12 pages, with a page length of approximately 450 words (excluding figures). Template for proceedings.

Registration and Submission

Conference registration is carried out through the Ex Ordo platform.

Prices

Categories	Early Bird (until April 11, 2025)	Regular (until May 5, 2025)
Regular	180 EUR	250 EUR
Student	110 EUR	180 EUR

If you have any questions write us: BDTSC@ktu.edu

REGISTRATION AND SUBMISSION

Brokerage event

Brokerage event will be organized by SmartWins and SustAInLivWork projects, in collaboration with Building Digital Twin Association. The event will offer networking and clustering opportunities thanks to the collaboration of the European Commission. The focus of the Brokerage event is on Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space. During the event, presentations will be held and B2B meetings will be organized.

You are welcome to book your seat in the Breokerage event. The event is free of charge, with the priority for BDTIC and BDTSC participants, as well as SmartWins and SustAInLivWork participants.

More information on the Brokerage Event will be announced in January 2025.

BDTIC2025

The Building Digital Twin International Congress (BDTIC)

BDTIC will celebrate its fifth edition on May 14-15 in Kaunas, Lithuania. The Congress is organized by the Building Digital Twin Association (BDTA) in collaboration with Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) and the SmartWins project.

The Congress will be held in a hybrid format, similar to previous editions at the BEACON in Belgium and CAATEEB and COAC in Barcelona. This year, BDTIC will take place at one of the remarkable buildings of the Kaunas University of Technology in the center of the city.

MORE INFORMATION

PhD Spring School

PhD Spring School Urban Digital Twins | Futureproofing and Resilience for Cities and Infrastructure.

It will be held at KTU from May 19 to 23 and organized by KTU’s Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, the Centre for Smart Cities and Infrastructure, and Bentley Systems.

This Spring School offers a unique opportunity for early career researchers to elevate their work by aligning it with cutting-edge digital twin technology.

Here’s why you should participate:

Make Your Research Relevant in the Context of Digital Twins:

Gain insights into how digital twin technology is reshaping industries and research. By integrating this innovative approach, you can enhance the impact and relevance of your studies.

Leverage and Integrate Specific Technologies into Your Research:

Learn to utilize state-of-the-art tools like Cesium and iTwin, while also having the flexibility to incorporate technologies you are already familiar with or passionate about.

Develop a Functional Digital Twin for Your Research:

Through hands-on sessions, you will work on creating a functional digital twin that directly supports and complements your research goals, providing you with practical experience and tangible results.

Digital twin platforms empower users to integrate real-time data, leverage predictive insights, and visualize complex systems dynamically, enabling informed decision-making and enhanced performance optimization. Make it a part of your research!

Participation fee:

Free of charge, participants fund their own travel and accommodation.

Registration:

Will be open from the middle of January

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Ioannis Brilakis,

LOR Centre, Engineering Department, Cambridge University

“Digital Twinning the Built Environment“

Prof. Paris A. Fokaides,

Chief researcher, Kaunas University of Technology, Frederick University

“Transforming Built Environment Research through Digital Twin Integration“

Prof. Farzad Pour Rahimian,

Teesside University

“Integrated BIM, Blockchain, and Multimodal Data-Driven Digital Twins for AEC Industry Digitalization“

Arrival

Vilnius Airport is located 100 kilometres from Kaunas City. Once you arrive here, you can reach the conference venue by train, bus or car.
Kaunas Airport is about 10 kilometres from the city. Upon arrival, the centre can be easily reached by bus or car.

The train station is near Vilnius Airport airport around 5 min walk.
There is a special train between the Vilnius Railway Station and the Vilnius Airport. You can get train from Vilnius airport to Vilnius station.
From Vilnius Railway Station you can get a train to Kaunas. The timetable can be found at Lietuvos gelezinkeliai.

Bus stop is situated just outside the Vilnius Airport. Bus No. 1 goes to the train/bus station and the buses No. 2 goes to the city centre. The timetable can be found at Vilnius Routes and Timetables.
Bus stop is situated outside the Kaunas Airport. Bus 29G to the city centre (bus stop Studentų skveras) and to the train and bus stations. Kaunas city transport timetables.

You can use a courier service.
UBER and BOLT are available in Vilnius and Kaunas. The service is easy to use and can be booked via an app on your phone

Accommodation

We have a special offering from the hotels listed below. Please contact us via email bdtsc@ktu.edu to get detailed information on each option. We will send you a special code or form for reservation.

Distance to conference venue 1 km (15 min on foot)

Distance to city center 1.1km

Distance to conference venue 1 km (15 min on foot)

Located in the city center

Distance to conference venue 0,4 km (5 min on foot)

Located in the city center

Distance to conference venue 0,6 km (10 min on foot)

Located in the city center

Contacts and Venue

Kaunas University of Technology

Laisvės av. 13, Kaunas, LT-44238 Lithuania

(in Google Maps: KTU, III rūmai)

The conference venue is the listed building, built in 1929 in the city center, at the end of Laisvės Avenue. Wich is a prominent pedestrian street in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania.

If you have any questions, contact us via email BDTSC@ktu.edu