Virtual services
Overview
In Differdange, climate neutrality is being translated into everyday decisions.
The small city situated in the southwest of Luxembourg is taking a pragmatic approach to innovation by using Local Digital Twin technology to better understand how energy is produced, consumed, and optimised across its territory. Instead of starting from abstract strategies, Differdange focuses on real data, real use cases, and incremental improvements.
Within the CitCom.ai ecosystem, and through its collaboration with the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), the city has developed and tested a digital tool that supports concrete decision-making, helping bridge the gap between climate goals and on-the-ground implementation.
Impact
By adopting a Local Digital Twin within the CitCom.ai framework, Differdange is already seeing tangible benefits:
- More informed planning of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including energy demand and solar compensation scenarios.
- Improved visibility on energy consumption in public buildings, enabling anomaly detection and optimisation actions.
- Better understanding of the real impact of solar panel subsidies for citizens.
- Stronger collaboration across departments, supported by shared data and tools.
- A scalable digital foundation that can evolve with new use cases over time.
This hands-on approach shows how cities can start small, validate quickly, and build confidence in AI-driven solutions.
The Challenge
Differdange’s ambition to become climate-neutral required more than technology, because it required a real shift in how the city works.
Data was available, but often fragmented across departments. Turning it into actionable insights meant breaking down silos and adopting new ways of collaborating internally and with external partners.
At the same time, the city needed to ensure that any technological solution would be flexible, interoperable, and aligned with both its operational needs and European regulatory frameworks. Testing and validating these solutions before scaling them was a key requirement.
The Solution
To address these challenges, Differdange partnered with LIST and engaged with the Smart City Hub under the CitCom.ai Testing and Experimentation Facility.
The collaboration focused on co-designing a Local Digital Twin tailored to the city’s priorities. Through structured experimentation phases, regular workshops, and iterative development cycles, the solution was progressively refined and aligned with real-world needs.
Accessible through a web interface, the Local Digital Twin allows city agents to explore scenarios, monitor performance, and support decision-making using real data. Its open and interoperable design ensures flexibility, while the TEF framework guarantees compliance, transparency, and full data ownership for the city.
Rather than deploying a one-size-fits-all solution, Differdange built a tool that evolves with its challenges, demonstrating how experimentation, collaboration, and incremental innovation can turn digital potential into practical impact.
