Digital Twin Keeps SAIL Amsterdam on Course

During the latest Smart Safety & Security Talk, organised by the Impact Coalitie Safety & Security (ICSS), the focus was on SAIL Amsterdam, Europe's largest public event, which attracts more than 10,000 ships and 2.5 million visitors. To ensure this event ran safely and smoothly, around 20 partners worked closely together under the direction of the Veiligheidsregio Amsterdam-Amstelland (Safety Region Amsterdam-Amstelland). These partners included the police and various safety regions, as well as the KNMI and the Port of Amsterdam. The Veiligheidsregio Amsterdam-Amstelland coordinated the collaboration with the Fieldlab Informatiegestuurde Veiligheid (Information-Driven Safety), the Operationeel Centrum Sail (Operational Centre Sail), and the Interregionaal Veiligheids Informatie Knooppunt (IVIK) (Interregional Safety Information Hub).

The partners continuously exchanged information with each other about the situation on and around the water. This was done in a network-centric manner: an innovative way of collaborating where partners themselves input and share information in the same system: the National Crisis Management System (LCMS).

This approach provided a single, up-to-date, multidisciplinary situational overview that directly supported decision-making. In total, 180 data sources were combined: from live ship locations, congestion measurements, and drone detection to information about the subsoil and business sentiment.

Because not all information is relevant or accessible to every partner, the security region developed an open-source Digital Twin together with partners: a digital information hub that visualises data and provides tailored insights. This gave everyone the same basic information position, with the ability to select sources that fit their own role and authority.

In a separate 'boiler room', direct research was conducted during the event, and consultations were held to better interpret information, improve data sources, and immediately apply new insights.

Details of the Digital Twin

• Open source and therefore scalable for other municipalities and events.
• Crowd simulations are possible in advance thanks to U-Crowd – insight into visitor flows and scenarios.
• Smart data hub, where data was shared safely and selectively.
• AI development by TU Delft to better predict future situations.

Future development

• Recognising shifts in emotions and atmosphere to detect escalations early.
• Exploration of a national open source data sharing platform for safety and events.

Practical tip: always start simulations with a current aerial photo of the area. This makes the analyses and scenarios as realistic and recognisable as possible.

An important lesson from this network-centric approach: technology only really works when collaboration and trust are central. And, you learn by doing!

Impact Coalitie Safety & Security is a collaboration between municipalities, the police, knowledge institutions, businesses, VNG, and Security Delta. It acts as a catalyst and agenda-setting platform for cities, accelerating the adoption of smart city innovations that enhance urban safety and security.

Header photo credits: Goos Hengeveld