Ask the Expert Session: Connecting physical and virtual worlds with digital twins

Description

The Ask the Expert session entitled “Connecting physical and virtual worlds with digital twins” is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as part of the ITU Digital Transformation Dialogues. The session will take place virtually on 22 January 2026, from 12:30 to 13:00 (Geneva time).

This session will examine the role of digital twins as a foundational enabler of virtual worlds and the metaverse, with particular attention to how international standards support the integration, interoperability, and scalability between physical and virtual environments. It will highlight the work of ITU-T in developing globally relevant standards that enable trusted, sustainable, and interoperable metaverse and virtual worlds ecosystems.

In this Ask the Expert Session, we will explore a series of ITU-T standards on digital twins and virtual worlds developed by ITU-T Study Group 20 on Internet of Things, digital twins and smart sustainable cities and communities.

Target Audience

Participation is open to the ITU Member States, Sector Members, Associates, ITU Academia, and to any individual from a country that is a member of the ITU and who wishes to contribute to the work. This includes individuals who are also members of international, regional and national organizations. Participation is free of charge.

Register here

Note: By registering for this event, you agree for ITU (the event organizer and data controller) to process your personal data for the organization and management of the event in accordance with the ITU Data Protection and Privacy Policy. The personal data you submit as part of the registration and your participation in the event will be used by ITU for the organization, management, and follow-up of the event, including managing attendance and for internal ITU administrative requirements. The event is taking place via Zoom, and it will be recorded. You can read here Zoom’s privacy notice on how it processes your personal data. The event video recording will be made publicly available on ITU’s event webpage to raise awareness and promote standardization aiming at knowledge-transfer and bridging the standardization gap. For any questions or requests concerning your personal data, including your inclusion in video, you can contact ITU at digitaltransformation@itu.int.