Local Digital Twin (LDT) Strategist, OASC

Gert Hilgers is a social scientist by training and an engineer at heart, passionate about the intersections of technology, policy, and international collaboration.

Currently, Gert is engaged in several cutting-edge initiatives:

• Developing Local Digital Twins (LDTs) and Minimum Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs and MIMs Plus) at Open & Agile Smart Cities & Communities (OASC), bridging cultural, political, and technical divides. He also facilitates the MIM6 Working Group on Security Management.
• Advancing the application of natural language processing (NLP) and generative AI for policy analysis and policymaking at the University of Warwick’s Department of Computer Science.
• Actively participating in the Urban Innovators Global community to drive innovation in urban development.

Gert’s prior experience spans diverse areas, including data (re-)use and policy, net-zero mobility and transport, and techno-geopolitical shifts, particularly in Germany and China. His research contributions include studies on digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy in response to China’s Digital Silk Road (ISA 2022, Nashville) and the EU’s digital competitiveness strategy (ISA 2023, Montreal). His PhD dissertation deconstructed policy decision-making processes, focusing on Germany’s economic and foreign policy strategies toward China.

Having lived and worked across Europe and Asia, Gert brings a global perspective, a talent for simplifying complex ideas, and a commitment to fostering cross-border understanding. An alumnus of SOAS, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Warwick, he is open to conversations and collaborations, particularly within the Europe-Asia context.