Self-Learning Digital Twins for Sustainable Land Management

Lead Research Organisation: University of Leicester
Department Name: Sch of Geog, Geol & the Environment

Abstract

Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land use in the UK contribute to global climate change. The UK is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Since 1990, greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land use have fallen, but in 2020 and 2021 they started rising again. 11% of UK GHG emissions stem from cattle and sheep grazing (7%) and degraded peatlands (4%).

This research project is developing an Artificial Intelligence algorithm called a 'Self-Learning Digital Twin' for sustainable land management. A Digital Twin applies computational modelling, environmental measurements and an Artificial Intelligence algorithm to provide new environmental insights into the functioning of a system. Farmers and land managers can ask questions that the Digital Twin can answer. In a nutshell, it is a digital model of the physical environment and is updated from real-time data, so that it mirrors the environment at all times. Digital Twins can support farmers and environmental managers to achieve better outcomes for their greenhouse gas emission reductions, ultimately saving time and resources.

The self-learning digital twin learns from real-time satellite images, greenhouse gas measurements from field instruments and other data. Its underlying model improves over time as new data are becoming available.
The project will promote sustainable cattle and sheep farming practices and peatland restoration. We will prepare the ground for an ethical and socially responsible application of artificial intelligence for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions. An important part of our work is to build a 'Community of Practice in AI for Net Zero' that brings together computer scientists with environmental, behavioural and social science researchers to develop a common approach. We will incorporate the social and ethical dimensions of digital twins, including who they may benefit or disadvantage.
 
Description We have developed a system model for a self-learning digital twin based on artificial intelligence. The digital twin will give a near-real-time reflection of the greenhouse gas emissions from drained peatlands under agricultural land use and ruminant farming systems (cattle and sheep). The key findings to date are that farm-scale measurements of cattle and their greenhouse gas emissions can be modelled with artificial intelligence in order to find ways of reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that they release. For peatlands, the JULES-CROP land surface model can simulate carbon dioxide emissions and removals over the calendar year and shows the impacts of crop choices, groundwater table depth, time of harvest, and other parameters. The model outputs can be validated with field measurements from eddy covariance towers. All components can be integrated into a self-learning digital twin to support more sustainable land management in the UK. The digital twin will be able to provide current data on the greenhouse gas emissions from ruminant farming and peatlands at different scales. The self-learning technology means that the digital twin will ultimately be able to identify new equations that would make the land surface model better.
Exploitation Route The digital twin is intended to provide information, data, insights, and knowledge to farmers, land users, and policy-makers in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use.
Sectors Agriculture

Food and Drink
 
Description Land Use for Net Zero (LUNZ) Hub
Amount £6,250,000 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/Y008723/1 
Organisation United Kingdom Research and Innovation 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2023 
End 03/2027
 
Description Self-learning AI-based digital twins for accelerating clinical care in respiratory emergency admissions (SLAIDER)
Amount £619,667 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/Y018281/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2023 
End 04/2025
 
Title Patent with BT on digital twins 
Description We have submitted a patent application that will allow digital twins to be used in building and operating large network in situ 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2024 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact We have assimilated data and physics models to lay the foundations of next generation of digital twins 
 
Description Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) 
Organisation Animal and Plant Health Agency
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Requesting aggregated cattle data from APHA for the digital twin development.
Collaborator Contribution n/a
Impact Requested Cattle Tracing System data for England aggregated at County Scale.
Start Year 2024
 
Description CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 
Organisation British Geological Survey
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Prof. Pat Heslop-Harrison attended the CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 and taught a Module "Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs". Cheltenham Project X: Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs There is an imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a global target for reaching 'net-zero' by 2050. Farming or agriculture is responsible for substantial emissions of greenhouse gasses, and also has the potential to sequester carbon, going beyond the net-zero target. Non-agricultural land use also has effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and forestry are estimated to account for about a quarter of the global emissions, with emissions including methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen compounds. An appreciation of the greenhouse gas sources and sinks, their volume, and changes in status due to land use and environmental change is of fundamental importance. Methods of estimation of farm greenhouse gas emissions within the global carbon cycle is controversial. Approaches to reduce farm emissions are even more controversial at a political level, with EU proposals causing major demonstrations in the first months of 2024 and controversy within the UK (eg https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68241023, "Beef cattle carbon emissions scheme 'could disadvantage us'") The Managing Director of the agriculture advisory service, Climate and Sustainability Group, says "Calculating the carbon footprint of a farm is a complex problem. What are the current metrics that exist for doing this and what are their shortcomings? Is there a need for a standardised metric? What are the gaps in the current scientific understanding of agricultural emissions calculations?", while the agricultural consultant Simon Ward comments "There are a number of problems with a farm-based calculations of greenhouse gas emissions. For some of the calculations the inputs are complex and detail is not available." (see, for example, the 'featured farmer question" which covers some of this CENTA project: https://farmpep.net/group/1164). A major greenhouse gas generated in agriculture is methane. This gas causes 80 time more global warming than carbon dioxide, and is particularly generated by ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep, from digestion of grass by microbial flora during rumination. Globally, methane emissions may account for 10% of emissions, and are very high in tropical pastures, representing a third of global agricultural area. In this project, we will visit publicly accessible areas of contrasting agricultural farms. We will combine our ground-based observations with map-based studies and calculations to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and capture, and energy balances, from various farm types. During the 'field campaign' of your speed PhD you will need to estimate the emissions (and flows) of greenhouse gasses associated with contrasting land uses - in particular, a dairy farm, an arable farm, a forestry plantation, a 'solar farm', and potentially other sites of your own choosing (this could include, for example, roadside verges, golf-courses, or even urban environment). You will also examine food energy outputs from these farms, and consider the greenhouse gas footprint of producing the equivalent food elsewhere and importing. This might include clearing tropical rain forest and import of soybean and grain, or of meat. You could also consider intensification of production (as has been done, eg, for dairying in UK since 2000) in the UK, and use of irrigated/protected (plastic or greenhouses; and maybe imported) crops of Gloucestershire/Herefordshire. You could also consider associated food waste/co-products, and food security (cf energy security, or lack of). We will compare the measurements and estimates we make with methods such as those available on-line: https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/business-management/agricultural-transition/4-popular-carbon-calculators-for-farms-compared (there are limited number of articles you can read free in Farmers Weekly so copy the article!). We will consider the results and policy implications for reaching net-zero, and taking into consideration the requirement for food production.
Collaborator Contribution n/a
Impact Teaching PhD students from the CENTA cohort.
Start Year 2024
 
Description CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 
Organisation Cranfield University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Prof. Pat Heslop-Harrison attended the CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 and taught a Module "Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs". Cheltenham Project X: Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs There is an imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a global target for reaching 'net-zero' by 2050. Farming or agriculture is responsible for substantial emissions of greenhouse gasses, and also has the potential to sequester carbon, going beyond the net-zero target. Non-agricultural land use also has effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and forestry are estimated to account for about a quarter of the global emissions, with emissions including methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen compounds. An appreciation of the greenhouse gas sources and sinks, their volume, and changes in status due to land use and environmental change is of fundamental importance. Methods of estimation of farm greenhouse gas emissions within the global carbon cycle is controversial. Approaches to reduce farm emissions are even more controversial at a political level, with EU proposals causing major demonstrations in the first months of 2024 and controversy within the UK (eg https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68241023, "Beef cattle carbon emissions scheme 'could disadvantage us'") The Managing Director of the agriculture advisory service, Climate and Sustainability Group, says "Calculating the carbon footprint of a farm is a complex problem. What are the current metrics that exist for doing this and what are their shortcomings? Is there a need for a standardised metric? What are the gaps in the current scientific understanding of agricultural emissions calculations?", while the agricultural consultant Simon Ward comments "There are a number of problems with a farm-based calculations of greenhouse gas emissions. For some of the calculations the inputs are complex and detail is not available." (see, for example, the 'featured farmer question" which covers some of this CENTA project: https://farmpep.net/group/1164). A major greenhouse gas generated in agriculture is methane. This gas causes 80 time more global warming than carbon dioxide, and is particularly generated by ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep, from digestion of grass by microbial flora during rumination. Globally, methane emissions may account for 10% of emissions, and are very high in tropical pastures, representing a third of global agricultural area. In this project, we will visit publicly accessible areas of contrasting agricultural farms. We will combine our ground-based observations with map-based studies and calculations to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and capture, and energy balances, from various farm types. During the 'field campaign' of your speed PhD you will need to estimate the emissions (and flows) of greenhouse gasses associated with contrasting land uses - in particular, a dairy farm, an arable farm, a forestry plantation, a 'solar farm', and potentially other sites of your own choosing (this could include, for example, roadside verges, golf-courses, or even urban environment). You will also examine food energy outputs from these farms, and consider the greenhouse gas footprint of producing the equivalent food elsewhere and importing. This might include clearing tropical rain forest and import of soybean and grain, or of meat. You could also consider intensification of production (as has been done, eg, for dairying in UK since 2000) in the UK, and use of irrigated/protected (plastic or greenhouses; and maybe imported) crops of Gloucestershire/Herefordshire. You could also consider associated food waste/co-products, and food security (cf energy security, or lack of). We will compare the measurements and estimates we make with methods such as those available on-line: https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/business-management/agricultural-transition/4-popular-carbon-calculators-for-farms-compared (there are limited number of articles you can read free in Farmers Weekly so copy the article!). We will consider the results and policy implications for reaching net-zero, and taking into consideration the requirement for food production.
Collaborator Contribution n/a
Impact Teaching PhD students from the CENTA cohort.
Start Year 2024
 
Description CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 
Organisation Open University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Prof. Pat Heslop-Harrison attended the CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 and taught a Module "Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs". Cheltenham Project X: Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs There is an imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a global target for reaching 'net-zero' by 2050. Farming or agriculture is responsible for substantial emissions of greenhouse gasses, and also has the potential to sequester carbon, going beyond the net-zero target. Non-agricultural land use also has effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and forestry are estimated to account for about a quarter of the global emissions, with emissions including methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen compounds. An appreciation of the greenhouse gas sources and sinks, their volume, and changes in status due to land use and environmental change is of fundamental importance. Methods of estimation of farm greenhouse gas emissions within the global carbon cycle is controversial. Approaches to reduce farm emissions are even more controversial at a political level, with EU proposals causing major demonstrations in the first months of 2024 and controversy within the UK (eg https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68241023, "Beef cattle carbon emissions scheme 'could disadvantage us'") The Managing Director of the agriculture advisory service, Climate and Sustainability Group, says "Calculating the carbon footprint of a farm is a complex problem. What are the current metrics that exist for doing this and what are their shortcomings? Is there a need for a standardised metric? What are the gaps in the current scientific understanding of agricultural emissions calculations?", while the agricultural consultant Simon Ward comments "There are a number of problems with a farm-based calculations of greenhouse gas emissions. For some of the calculations the inputs are complex and detail is not available." (see, for example, the 'featured farmer question" which covers some of this CENTA project: https://farmpep.net/group/1164). A major greenhouse gas generated in agriculture is methane. This gas causes 80 time more global warming than carbon dioxide, and is particularly generated by ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep, from digestion of grass by microbial flora during rumination. Globally, methane emissions may account for 10% of emissions, and are very high in tropical pastures, representing a third of global agricultural area. In this project, we will visit publicly accessible areas of contrasting agricultural farms. We will combine our ground-based observations with map-based studies and calculations to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and capture, and energy balances, from various farm types. During the 'field campaign' of your speed PhD you will need to estimate the emissions (and flows) of greenhouse gasses associated with contrasting land uses - in particular, a dairy farm, an arable farm, a forestry plantation, a 'solar farm', and potentially other sites of your own choosing (this could include, for example, roadside verges, golf-courses, or even urban environment). You will also examine food energy outputs from these farms, and consider the greenhouse gas footprint of producing the equivalent food elsewhere and importing. This might include clearing tropical rain forest and import of soybean and grain, or of meat. You could also consider intensification of production (as has been done, eg, for dairying in UK since 2000) in the UK, and use of irrigated/protected (plastic or greenhouses; and maybe imported) crops of Gloucestershire/Herefordshire. You could also consider associated food waste/co-products, and food security (cf energy security, or lack of). We will compare the measurements and estimates we make with methods such as those available on-line: https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/business-management/agricultural-transition/4-popular-carbon-calculators-for-farms-compared (there are limited number of articles you can read free in Farmers Weekly so copy the article!). We will consider the results and policy implications for reaching net-zero, and taking into consideration the requirement for food production.
Collaborator Contribution n/a
Impact Teaching PhD students from the CENTA cohort.
Start Year 2024
 
Description CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 
Organisation UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Prof. Pat Heslop-Harrison attended the CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 and taught a Module "Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs". Cheltenham Project X: Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs There is an imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a global target for reaching 'net-zero' by 2050. Farming or agriculture is responsible for substantial emissions of greenhouse gasses, and also has the potential to sequester carbon, going beyond the net-zero target. Non-agricultural land use also has effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and forestry are estimated to account for about a quarter of the global emissions, with emissions including methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen compounds. An appreciation of the greenhouse gas sources and sinks, their volume, and changes in status due to land use and environmental change is of fundamental importance. Methods of estimation of farm greenhouse gas emissions within the global carbon cycle is controversial. Approaches to reduce farm emissions are even more controversial at a political level, with EU proposals causing major demonstrations in the first months of 2024 and controversy within the UK (eg https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68241023, "Beef cattle carbon emissions scheme 'could disadvantage us'") The Managing Director of the agriculture advisory service, Climate and Sustainability Group, says "Calculating the carbon footprint of a farm is a complex problem. What are the current metrics that exist for doing this and what are their shortcomings? Is there a need for a standardised metric? What are the gaps in the current scientific understanding of agricultural emissions calculations?", while the agricultural consultant Simon Ward comments "There are a number of problems with a farm-based calculations of greenhouse gas emissions. For some of the calculations the inputs are complex and detail is not available." (see, for example, the 'featured farmer question" which covers some of this CENTA project: https://farmpep.net/group/1164). A major greenhouse gas generated in agriculture is methane. This gas causes 80 time more global warming than carbon dioxide, and is particularly generated by ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep, from digestion of grass by microbial flora during rumination. Globally, methane emissions may account for 10% of emissions, and are very high in tropical pastures, representing a third of global agricultural area. In this project, we will visit publicly accessible areas of contrasting agricultural farms. We will combine our ground-based observations with map-based studies and calculations to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and capture, and energy balances, from various farm types. During the 'field campaign' of your speed PhD you will need to estimate the emissions (and flows) of greenhouse gasses associated with contrasting land uses - in particular, a dairy farm, an arable farm, a forestry plantation, a 'solar farm', and potentially other sites of your own choosing (this could include, for example, roadside verges, golf-courses, or even urban environment). You will also examine food energy outputs from these farms, and consider the greenhouse gas footprint of producing the equivalent food elsewhere and importing. This might include clearing tropical rain forest and import of soybean and grain, or of meat. You could also consider intensification of production (as has been done, eg, for dairying in UK since 2000) in the UK, and use of irrigated/protected (plastic or greenhouses; and maybe imported) crops of Gloucestershire/Herefordshire. You could also consider associated food waste/co-products, and food security (cf energy security, or lack of). We will compare the measurements and estimates we make with methods such as those available on-line: https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/business-management/agricultural-transition/4-popular-carbon-calculators-for-farms-compared (there are limited number of articles you can read free in Farmers Weekly so copy the article!). We will consider the results and policy implications for reaching net-zero, and taking into consideration the requirement for food production.
Collaborator Contribution n/a
Impact Teaching PhD students from the CENTA cohort.
Start Year 2024
 
Description CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 
Organisation University of Birmingham
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Prof. Pat Heslop-Harrison attended the CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 and taught a Module "Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs". Cheltenham Project X: Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs There is an imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a global target for reaching 'net-zero' by 2050. Farming or agriculture is responsible for substantial emissions of greenhouse gasses, and also has the potential to sequester carbon, going beyond the net-zero target. Non-agricultural land use also has effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and forestry are estimated to account for about a quarter of the global emissions, with emissions including methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen compounds. An appreciation of the greenhouse gas sources and sinks, their volume, and changes in status due to land use and environmental change is of fundamental importance. Methods of estimation of farm greenhouse gas emissions within the global carbon cycle is controversial. Approaches to reduce farm emissions are even more controversial at a political level, with EU proposals causing major demonstrations in the first months of 2024 and controversy within the UK (eg https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68241023, "Beef cattle carbon emissions scheme 'could disadvantage us'") The Managing Director of the agriculture advisory service, Climate and Sustainability Group, says "Calculating the carbon footprint of a farm is a complex problem. What are the current metrics that exist for doing this and what are their shortcomings? Is there a need for a standardised metric? What are the gaps in the current scientific understanding of agricultural emissions calculations?", while the agricultural consultant Simon Ward comments "There are a number of problems with a farm-based calculations of greenhouse gas emissions. For some of the calculations the inputs are complex and detail is not available." (see, for example, the 'featured farmer question" which covers some of this CENTA project: https://farmpep.net/group/1164). A major greenhouse gas generated in agriculture is methane. This gas causes 80 time more global warming than carbon dioxide, and is particularly generated by ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep, from digestion of grass by microbial flora during rumination. Globally, methane emissions may account for 10% of emissions, and are very high in tropical pastures, representing a third of global agricultural area. In this project, we will visit publicly accessible areas of contrasting agricultural farms. We will combine our ground-based observations with map-based studies and calculations to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and capture, and energy balances, from various farm types. During the 'field campaign' of your speed PhD you will need to estimate the emissions (and flows) of greenhouse gasses associated with contrasting land uses - in particular, a dairy farm, an arable farm, a forestry plantation, a 'solar farm', and potentially other sites of your own choosing (this could include, for example, roadside verges, golf-courses, or even urban environment). You will also examine food energy outputs from these farms, and consider the greenhouse gas footprint of producing the equivalent food elsewhere and importing. This might include clearing tropical rain forest and import of soybean and grain, or of meat. You could also consider intensification of production (as has been done, eg, for dairying in UK since 2000) in the UK, and use of irrigated/protected (plastic or greenhouses; and maybe imported) crops of Gloucestershire/Herefordshire. You could also consider associated food waste/co-products, and food security (cf energy security, or lack of). We will compare the measurements and estimates we make with methods such as those available on-line: https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/business-management/agricultural-transition/4-popular-carbon-calculators-for-farms-compared (there are limited number of articles you can read free in Farmers Weekly so copy the article!). We will consider the results and policy implications for reaching net-zero, and taking into consideration the requirement for food production.
Collaborator Contribution n/a
Impact Teaching PhD students from the CENTA cohort.
Start Year 2024
 
Description CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 
Organisation University of Warwick
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Prof. Pat Heslop-Harrison attended the CENTA Speed PhD residential field trip to Cheltenham from 18-22 March 2024 and taught a Module "Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs". Cheltenham Project X: Farm Carbon Budgets - Storage, Inputs and Outputs There is an imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a global target for reaching 'net-zero' by 2050. Farming or agriculture is responsible for substantial emissions of greenhouse gasses, and also has the potential to sequester carbon, going beyond the net-zero target. Non-agricultural land use also has effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and forestry are estimated to account for about a quarter of the global emissions, with emissions including methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen compounds. An appreciation of the greenhouse gas sources and sinks, their volume, and changes in status due to land use and environmental change is of fundamental importance. Methods of estimation of farm greenhouse gas emissions within the global carbon cycle is controversial. Approaches to reduce farm emissions are even more controversial at a political level, with EU proposals causing major demonstrations in the first months of 2024 and controversy within the UK (eg https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68241023, "Beef cattle carbon emissions scheme 'could disadvantage us'") The Managing Director of the agriculture advisory service, Climate and Sustainability Group, says "Calculating the carbon footprint of a farm is a complex problem. What are the current metrics that exist for doing this and what are their shortcomings? Is there a need for a standardised metric? What are the gaps in the current scientific understanding of agricultural emissions calculations?", while the agricultural consultant Simon Ward comments "There are a number of problems with a farm-based calculations of greenhouse gas emissions. For some of the calculations the inputs are complex and detail is not available." (see, for example, the 'featured farmer question" which covers some of this CENTA project: https://farmpep.net/group/1164). A major greenhouse gas generated in agriculture is methane. This gas causes 80 time more global warming than carbon dioxide, and is particularly generated by ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep, from digestion of grass by microbial flora during rumination. Globally, methane emissions may account for 10% of emissions, and are very high in tropical pastures, representing a third of global agricultural area. In this project, we will visit publicly accessible areas of contrasting agricultural farms. We will combine our ground-based observations with map-based studies and calculations to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and capture, and energy balances, from various farm types. During the 'field campaign' of your speed PhD you will need to estimate the emissions (and flows) of greenhouse gasses associated with contrasting land uses - in particular, a dairy farm, an arable farm, a forestry plantation, a 'solar farm', and potentially other sites of your own choosing (this could include, for example, roadside verges, golf-courses, or even urban environment). You will also examine food energy outputs from these farms, and consider the greenhouse gas footprint of producing the equivalent food elsewhere and importing. This might include clearing tropical rain forest and import of soybean and grain, or of meat. You could also consider intensification of production (as has been done, eg, for dairying in UK since 2000) in the UK, and use of irrigated/protected (plastic or greenhouses; and maybe imported) crops of Gloucestershire/Herefordshire. You could also consider associated food waste/co-products, and food security (cf energy security, or lack of). We will compare the measurements and estimates we make with methods such as those available on-line: https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/business-management/agricultural-transition/4-popular-carbon-calculators-for-farms-compared (there are limited number of articles you can read free in Farmers Weekly so copy the article!). We will consider the results and policy implications for reaching net-zero, and taking into consideration the requirement for food production.
Collaborator Contribution n/a
Impact Teaching PhD students from the CENTA cohort.
Start Year 2024
 
Description CGI Sustainability Digital twin 
Organisation CGI
Country Canada 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution CGI has embarked on a journey to build digital twins and Prof Ashiq Anjum has been asked to support the effort by leading the research team.
Collaborator Contribution Technical specification has been produced. A porotype is being developed
Impact UN sustainable development goals on energy efficiency in data centres and food security by developing products that support these two areas.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Leicester Glenfield Hospital 
Organisation Glenfield Hospital
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Hospitals 
PI Contribution We have built a partnership with the Glenfield Hospital and submitted a proposal to EPSRC for a health digital twin.
Collaborator Contribution Working on a health digital twin to reduce the queues for hospital addmissions.
Impact Design of a health digital twin
Start Year 2023
 
Description Network of Digital Twins with BT 
Organisation BT Group
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution We have formed a collaboration to build network of digital twins. This will develop a prototype of the network digital twin to support the network optimization and energy efficacy of the British telecom for media broadcast services. This will allow BT to cut down energy costs ad increase the reliability of their networks. BT is spending £1Million a day on energy and this is slowing them on wide scale deployment of their networks for new applications such as smart cars and smart homes. This work will lead to the submission of a patent application that will be used as evidence of the impact.
Collaborator Contribution A patent has been submitted jointly. A research paper has been submitted to journal of machine learning.
Impact This is a multidisciplinary collaboration involving software engineers, academics, telecom experts and electrical engineers.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Turing University Network 
Organisation Alan Turing Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The University of Leicester has joined the Turing University Network. Prof. Heiko Balzter has been invited to give a presentation on 22 March 2024 on self-learning digital twins and AI for sustainable land management as part of this network.
Collaborator Contribution n/a
Impact Presentation on 22 March 2024 to the network
Start Year 2023
 
Description AI HPC Conference in Leicester- 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The HPC-AI Advisory Council's 5th Annual UK Conference, held on October 18-19, 2023, had an exciting agenda that delved into the intersection of high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), and environmental responsibility. This had the following focus:

Balancing the granularity of calculations in simulation and AI research to optimize efficiency without compromising research value
can we mitigate the trend of higher resolution always meaning more compute power?
Evaluating the carbon footprint associated with computational demands and exploring strategies to mitigate environmental impact
Net zero data centre strategies
Ethical and practical considerations about using AI to replace human work and/or traditional simulation techniques in real-world applications
Case studies discussing the role of AI in addressing global challenges and improving quality of life, as well as risks involved in using AI in this context
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.hpcwire.com/off-the-wire/hpc-ai-advisory-council-gears-up-for-october-conference-in-uk-i...
 
Description Cereals 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Cereals is the key occasion in the arable calendar, offering unmissable networking and educational opportunities. A unique event, showcasing the latest in arable farming, Cereals will welcome over 17000 farmers, agronomists as well as service and product displays from nearly 400 arable-focussed exhibitors and sponsors.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://farmpep.net/event/cereals-2023
 
Description Community of Practice (every 2 months over life of project commencing Jan 2024) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact These are events every 2 months on line. The core membership are PGRA's from institutions who are recipients of AI4NetZero grants in the first instance. Over time we will widen participation to policy makers, general AI practitioners, subject matter experts, or others that would have an interest in the topics. The first meeting had attendance of 50 participants
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Digital Twins in Industry at KFUPM 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact A workshop was arranged at KFUPM in Saudi Arabia in collaboration with Aramco where the talk was delivered on the physics of digital twins and its applications in energy and net zero.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Golden Hooves at Hooks Farm Open Day 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Farm open day and milking robot demonstration
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.goldenhooves.co.uk/farm/hooks-farm-dairy/
 
Description Training and Workshops with Bahrain Government Ministries and National Space Science Agency 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Intended purpose was to inform ministries of environment and agriculture in Bahrain on how Earth Observation Activities can benefit strategic national projects. We included this project as an example of the developing area of Digital Twins using AI, and how value can be delivered at local, regional, and national levels from hybridizing a portfolio of data sources to explore solutions to environmental challenges
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Workshop at GIK and BZU on Digital Twins 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A workshop was arranged at GIKI/BZU in Pakistan in collaboration with local universities where the talks were delivered on the physics of digital twins and its applications in industry, energy and net zero.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023