On 9 April 2026, the National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Center (Hong Kong Branch) (CNERC-Rail) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University hosted an academic seminar at Z512, PolyU. The seminar focused on the theme "System Dynamics-Based Digital Twins for Engineering and Infrastructure Health Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis." Prof. Zi-Qiang Lang, Chair Professor of Complex Systems Analysis and Design at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, served as the keynote speaker.
During the seminar, Prof. Lang outlined the development and recent advancements in digital twin technology. He emphasised his team’s system dynamics-based digital twin framework, which integrates nonlinear system modelling, system identification, and frequency-domain analysis to enable real-time construction, dynamic analysis, and continuous updating of digital twin. Applications discussed included cutting-tool condition monitoring in advanced manufacturing, rapid post-earthquake risk assessment of building structures, and fatigue damage evaluation in railway systems. The research highlighted the considerable potential of integrating system dynamics with data-driven methods to improve the reliability, safety, and efficiency of engineering systems.
