LSU Launches First Digital Twin Certificate Created by Industry and Academic Experts

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, as well as 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 also 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."

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.