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Panel at HLPF spotlights digital public infrastructure and open‑source "digital twin" platform for cities
Summary
A town‑hall panel at the High‑Level Political Forum emphasized digital public infrastructure, open‑source simulation tools for cities and international AI capacity building as ways to accelerate SDG implementation while warning the digital divide could block benefits for billions.
A town‑hall discussion at the 2025 High‑Level Political Forum focused on how science, technology and innovation — particularly digital public infrastructure and open, interoperable tools — could accelerate Sustainable Development Goal implementation but warned that the global digital divide risks excluding billions.
Robert Kirkpatrick, Chairman of the United Cities Foundation, described an open, federated platform called Open Twin intended as an open‑source "digital twin" operating system for cities. "This is a technology that is meant to be used by community groups, by local businesses, by entrepreneurs to innovate," Kirkpatrick said, adding that existing proprietary systems tend to lock cities into vendor platforms.
The nut graf: panelists argued that accelerating SDG progress requires both new tools and deliberate choices about governance and inclusiveness so technology serves communities rather than reinforcing digital colonialism. Panelists urged simple, accessible interfaces and offline or low‑bandwidth access (SMS, WhatsApp) to reach underserved areas.
Panelists described practical models. Kirkpatrick said Chile offered to host an early living lab for Open Twin and that the platform is designed to federate so that cities can share models and AI‑assisted lessons. He said the aim is to democratize decision‑support such as flood evacuation modeling or traffic impacts, not to keep systems behind closed vendor platforms.
Sanda Ojiambo of the UN Global Compact and other discussants highlighted that private capital can be mobilized if projects are bankable and matched to financing instruments; she called for co‑creation and early private‑public engagement. A science representative said research often runs in disciplinary silos and urged mission‑oriented, transdisciplinary research co‑designed with users to increase absorptive capacity and uptake.
Delegations and panellists repeatedly stressed access issues. Panel contributions and country statements warned that more than 2,000,000,000 people lack digital access and that AI tools must be developed responsibly to avoid amplifying inequality. Several delegations and scientists called for strengthening national science advisory systems, open science infrastructures, and international cooperation to build capacities in least‑developed countries.
Ending: Speakers urged immediate pilot projects, open standards, and funding to scale inclusive digital public infrastructure; the HLPF's upcoming thematic sessions will examine STI roadmaps and capacity building.
