Thinking as a system: Digitising Assets and Data Standards
Smart Infrastructure Agenda
9.30am – Registration
Arrive, sign in, and connect with attendees over coffee before the sessions begin.
10.00am – Welcome
Opening remarks to set the stage for a day focused on digital innovation and smart infrastructure.
10.15am – How Can Assets Be Digitised?
What are the current capabilities and limitations of digitising assets?
How can digital twins, sensors, and real-time data help transform infrastructure monitoring and management?
10.45am – How Can We Use the Data? The Art of the Possible
How can data support better decision-making, predictive maintenance, and leakage detection?
How can we effectively use IoT, edge computing platforms, and elastic cloud services?
How can real-time AI and analytics help manage water or power flow?
Are our data platforms accessible enough to key stakeholders?
11.15am – Systems Thinking: Uniting the Smart Infrastructure
How do technologies like satellites, pipe bots, and smart materials connect within infrastructure systems?
Can we realistically work as one cohesive system rather than in fragmented parts?
11.45am – System or Silo? (Debate)
Can we truly function as a unified smart infrastructure ecosystem, or are we still stuck in silos?
12.15pm – Lunch
1.00pm – Infrastructure Standards in the Smart Era
How should we incorporate new technologies into resilience standards?
Should meters, valves, and sensors be embedded as standard infrastructure elements?
Is this sustainable, considering materials like lithium and plastic?
Should we take a more holistic approach, including consideration of data centres?
How do we improve monitoring, reporting, and adaptive interventions?
1.30pm – AMI and Metering
Why are we still debating the value of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)?
What’s holding back adoption?
How much data is truly necessary, and what functions should smart meters perform?
How can we address issues of interoperability?
What policy and regulatory concerns do GDPR and CMEX raise?
2.00pm – What Are Data Standards? Do We Need Them?
Should we prioritise standardisation or flexibility in data infrastructure?
What problem are we solving with the data we collect?
Can we avoid repeating mistakes like those made with SMETs?
How can utilities collaborate better through open data?
2.20pm – Cybersecurity in Smart Infrastructure
Where are the vulnerabilities in smart systems?
How should we approach internal vs external cyber threats?
What proactive strategies can we use to anticipate and mitigate cyber risks?
2.40pm – Do We Need Smart Infrastructure to Tackle Climate Change? What Other Options Are There? (Debate)
Is smart infrastructure essential for climate risk mitigation, or are there better alternatives?
Can Nature-based Solutions (NbS) respond more effectively to certain risks?
What strategies best support climate resilience?
3.00pm – Data Integrity, Connectivity and Opportunity
What are realistic targets for data integrity in metering and monitoring systems?
How do we address the challenge of low population density (“more sheep than people”) in rural areas?
How can we ensure data access is both affordable and equitable?
3.20pm – Lessons from Energy and What Next?
What can we learn from the energy sector’s digitalisation journey?
How do we translate today’s discussions into action on leakage reduction, demand management, and consumption insights?
3.45pm – Closing Remarks
Final reflections and next steps.
4.00pm – Finish