Overview
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.
Industry Challenges
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
Successful applications will receive up to £225,000 to conduct feasibility studies, product methodologies and develop a PoC to address one of these challenges.
Join the programme
Programme benefits
During the eleven month programme, participants will be supported by Digital Catapult and the UK Digital Twin Centre partners through:
Up to £225,000 funding
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
Build cross-sector connections and accelerate the adoption of digital twin technologies
Who should apply?
We welcome 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
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Proven research excellence and technical capability
- Ability to deliver practical demonstrable outputs, not just theoretical research
- Projects must address a one of the specific challenges listed above
- Projects must be executed in the UK (including Northern Ireland)
Key dates
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Applications open
Wednesday 11 February 2026
Applications close
March 2026
Announcement of successful applicants
May 2026
Programme kick off and in-person onboarding
March 2027
Programme end
