Jan 12, 2026
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- A digital twin is a live, data-connected virtual replica of a physical object, system, or process, not a static model or simulation.
- Digital twins update continuously using real-world sensor data, enabling real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and risk-free scenario testing.
- They’re used across construction, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and urban planning, all industries that make up the core of Louisiana’s economy.
- Unlike simulations, digital twins are tied to a real, specific asset and reflect current conditions rather than hypothetical scenarios.
- Building and deploying digital twins requires a blend of technical, financial, and legal knowledge. Skills that are increasingly in demand for engineers and business leaders alike.
- LSU’s Digital Twin Design and Production Certificate is the first nationally to combine university and industry expertise in a single, comprehensive program. No coding experience required.
BATON ROUGE – LSU has launched a Digital Twin Design and Production Certificate to train business and technical leaders in one of the fastest-growing technologies transforming construction, manufacturing, and energy – industries essential to Louisiana’s economy.
From bridges to factories to supply chains, digital twins are virtual, real-time replicas of physical objects, systems, or processes that update continuously as conditions change. Workers use them to simulate performance, detect problems early, improve safety, and reduce costs across real-world applications.
Registration for the program is now open. It’s the first digital twin certificate in the nation co-developed by university and industry experts.
The program offers comprehensive experience in an emerging technology. In seven online courses, taught using case studies, guided tutorials, and hands-on activities, participants will:
- Learn how digital twins are built and what technologies are used in the process
- Understand how digital twins track, monitor, and improve real-world systems
- Practice digital twin development using common software platforms
- Understand the benefits and risks of digital twins
- Obtain the skills needed to calculate deployment costs and return on investment
- Explore key topics like data ethics, intellectual property, and legal risks
The Digital Twin Design and Production Certificate is the result of a collaboration between LSU’s College of Engineering, LSU Online, the Baton Rouge consultancy DigiTwin Global, and the engineering software firm Bentley Systems.
LSU Engineering Dean Vicki Colvin said knowing how digital twins are built, how they’re used, and when they’re worth the investment of time and money to produce are important skills for the next generation of engineers to possess. Colvin said these skills are also increasingly necessary for professionals working in construction, manufacturing, energy, agribusiness, and healthcare - sectors that drive the Louisiana economy.
“The engineers and business leaders of tomorrow need digital twin skills today,” Colvin said. “At LSU, we recognized this need and worked to fill the gap quickly with a high-quality program that combines expertise across disciplines.”
Marwa Hassan, associate dean of academic affairs in the College of Engineering, and Kappie Mumphrey, vice president of LSU Online, led development of the certificate. That team included LSU engineers, computer scientists, digital designers, and online learning experts along with a variety of industry software professionals. The team also included James “Scott” Fargason, who is on faculty with the Flores MBA Program in LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business and LSU alumnus Joey Coco, CEO of Forte and Tablata, an engineering firm in Baton Rouge. Fargason and Coco created DigiTwin Global, a local digital twin consultancy and service provider.
The target audience for the certificate is broad, including business leaders who need to understand the strategic and financial implications of digital twin technology and project managers, engineers, and IT and operations professionals who need to understand the technology they’ll encounter in their day-to-day work.
The team wanted to create an accessible program, so no coding experience is required. They wanted to develop a comprehensive program, so they included content that not only addresses technical skills and tools but on the legal, ethical, and financial issues that digital twins raise.
Finally, the team wanted to create a practical program. That’s why several courses include hands-on experience with digital twin software from providers such as Bentley Systems.
“No other school offers a program that is as comprehensive as ours,” Fargason said. “The LSU certificate delivers insights from both academia and industry and a blend of the theoretical and the experiential approaches to digital twinning that you will not find anywhere else.”
Coco said digital twin technology is a perfect fit for the Louisiana economy, since it can be used to repair, improve, and expand that state’s extensive industrial and coastal infrastructure.
“Digital twins are how we turn the scale of our commercial infrastructure into a strategic advantage,” Coco said. “This certificate prepares the workforce that will operate and modernize these systems that keep the country moving, with LSU and Louisiana leading the charge."
Learn More About LSU’s Digital Twin Certificate
The LSU College of Engineering is exploring the development of a bachelor’s degree in digital twin technology, and DigiTwin Global is organizing a symposium on the topic in February.
For information on the certificate, contact Christina Bourg at christinab@lsu.edu.
For media interviews, contact Zach Labbe at zachlabbe@lsu.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions About Digital Twins
What is a digital twin?
A digital twin is a virtual, real-time replica of a physical object, system, or process. It’s connected to its real-world counterpart through sensors, IoT devices, and data feeds, meaning the digital model updates continuously as conditions in the physical world change.
The concept originated with NASA, which built virtual replicas of spacecraft to allow engineers to simulate conditions and diagnose problems remotely. Today, digital twins are used across construction, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and urban planning.
Unlike a static 3D model or blueprint, a digital twin is dynamic. It reflects what’s happening right now and can project what might happen in the future.
What is a digital twin in simple terms?
A digital twin is a live virtual copy of something that exists in the real world. A building, a machine, a pipeline, or even an entire industrial process. It’s connected to the real thing through sensors that feed it data continuously, so the virtual model always reflects what’s actually happening. Workers use it to monitor performance, catch problems early, and test changes without risking the real asset.
What is an example of a digital twin?
A bridge equipped with structural sensors that feed live data into a 3D computer model is a digital twin. Engineers can monitor stress loads in real time, detect unusual changes, and simulate how the bridge would respond to increased traffic or extreme weather, all without closing the bridge or running physical tests. Other common examples include digital twins of factory production lines, wind turbines, oil refineries, and hospital buildings.
What is the difference between a digital twin and a simulation?
A simulation is a virtual model of how something might behave under a set of assumed conditions. It’s disconnected from the real world. A digital twin is connected to an actual, existing asset through live data feeds. It shows what’s happening right now and can predict what’s about to happen based on real conditions. Simulations are useful for design-phase analysis; digital twins are most valuable during operations.
What industries use digital twins?
Digital twins are used across construction, manufacturing, energy and utilities, healthcare, transportation, and urban planning. In Louisiana specifically, they’re increasingly relevant to the state’s industrial infrastructure — refineries, chemical plants, ports, and coastal engineering projects.
How are digital twins created?
Digital twins are built by combining a 3D or computational model of the physical asset with data from sensors, IoT devices, cameras, drones, and other monitoring tools. Software platforms, such as those from Bentley Systems, Siemens, and others, provide the infrastructure to integrate that data and visualize the live model. Building a useful digital twin also requires decisions about what data to collect, how to structure it, and how to act on the insights it generates.
Do I need to know how to code to work with digital twins?
Not necessarily. While software engineers and data scientists build the underlying infrastructure, many digital twin roles, including project management, operations oversight, ROI analysis, and strategic deployment, don’t require coding. LSU’s Digital Twin Design and Production Certificate was specifically designed to be accessible to professionals without a coding background.
Is a digital twin the same as a BIM model?
No. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a data-rich model used primarily during design and construction. A digital twin extends that model into operations by connecting it to live data. It shows how a building or structure is actually performing right now, not just how it was designed to perform. BIM can serve as the foundation for a digital twin, but a digital twin adds continuous data exchange and real-time analytics.
Where can I learn digital twin skills in Louisiana?
LSU’s Digital Twin Design and Production Certificate is the first nationally co-developed by university and industry experts. The seven-course online program covers digital twin design, software platforms, ROI calculation, and the legal and ethical dimensions of the technology. No coding experience is required.