Software that adapts to Eskilstuna.
Mapping Eskilstuna’s vision
Eskilstuna is a relatively small municipality in the middle of Sweden, but one that has built a reputation for being forward-leaning and innovative. Nowhere is this more visible than in their use of geodata and their growing interest in digital twins as the next big step in urban planning. Over the years, Eskilstuna has developed a highly structured approach to collecting and managing data, and the natural question became:
How could this data be used in more advanced ways to support smarter decisions?
One area of interest was canopy coverage of trees. At first glance it might seem like a niche topic, but it has wide-reaching implications. Trees not only shape the beauty and cultural identity of a city, but also play a critical role in cooling urban environments. As cities everywhere face rising temperatures, they asked themselves:
How can we efficiently cool our cities; and where should new trees be planted to make the biggest impact?
Blocks to build on
After scouring the European market for platforms with as many key features as possible, a digital twin platform was the perfect base to build upon.
Nexus Twin, the name of the software, offered the flexibility and power needed to transform Eskilstuna’s existing geodata into something far more dynamic and actionable.
Tailor-made solutions
What’s missing?
What was missing was not the data itself as Eskilstuna already had plenty, but rather the ability to analyze and apply it in a new way. Our task became building an analysis framework that could show how tree canopy coverage affects the city’s temperature today, but also how different interventions could change outcomes in the future.
From this starting point, we expanded the scope and created a tool that gives municipal planners new insights, such as:
–Optimal placement of new trees to achieve desired cooling effects.
–The economic value of each tree, enabling cost–benefit analysis of planting or removing them.
–3D visualizations that show how trees interact with the wider urban environment in a digital twin.
Long-term partnership
This project was carried out within the framework of the National Hub for Digital Twins in Sweden, run by RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) and DTSC (Digital Twin Sustainable Cities). For us, it was not just a proof of concept; it was the beginning of a partnership. Together with Eskilstuna, DTSC, and alongside other municipalities, we are now exploring how this technology can be scaled to address some of the most pressing challenges in urban planning.
The canopy coverage case shows how a focused project can unlock real, tangible value from existing data. But perhaps even more importantly, it highlights the value of long-lasting partnerships, tailored solutions, and continuous development; ensuring that tools like digital twins don’t just remain experiments, but become living, evolving parts of how cities plan for the future.
Interested in how we’ve worked with other clients and partners?
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