Opening of the Innovative Digital Twins Laboratory

Employees of the “Vitebskoblgaz”, the university administration, faculty, students, and honored guests attended the solemn opening ceremony:

• Denis Moroz, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus
• Valery Kovalev, General Director of the State Enterprise "Beltopgaz"
• Alexander Brantsevich, General Director of the production Republican Unitary Enterprise "Vitebskoblgaz"
• Igor Burmistrov, Chairman of the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee

Denis Moroz, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus: "We have taken a very important step – we have brought production to the university. The laboratory is fully equipped to replicate the technological processes that operate within the Ministry of Energy and the state production association ‘Beltopgaz’. Moreover, the software systems implemented here are not only used in the Vitebsk region; they function throughout the entire gas supply system of the country. For graduates who become familiar with this information and technological infrastructure, it represents a significant advantage – it is the future that many minds are focused on today. The opportunity for students to delve deeper into these technologies, experiment, and implement projects will yield obvious returns in the near term: when they join enterprises, they will already be prepared. The Ministry of Energy places great emphasis on digitalization and collaboration with higher education institutions. This initiative is not an endpoint but a foundational step, and I am confident it will form the basis for our continued collaboration”.

Yury Ramanouski, Rector of Polotsk University: "I would like to express my gratitude to our partners for the opportunity to open this laboratory, which establishes a direct connection between production and education right here in the classroom. It is important to emphasize that this space houses digital twins of the actual products and objects used in production. This laboratory is a logical continuation of our previous efforts and completes the full cycle from education to practical implementation. By opening facilities of this caliber, including a new competence center for construction and engineering networks, we are taking a crucial step to ensure our graduates remain in Belarus. They will receive a competitive education and can directly contribute to the development of our city and region. My congratulations to everyone, especially the students – you now have an excellent platform for practical work and scientific research".

The laboratory is designed as a complex consisting of five locations, each replicating a specific aspect of an engineer's professional activities and facilitating work with real digital products used in enterprises across the country in real time:

• digital twin of the gas distribution system of the Republic of Belarus 
• mobile digital assistant 
• location "Hello, Alena" 
• training and simulation classroom 
• 3D cluster

The establishment of the laboratory integrates effective digital solutions into the educational process, ensuring a comprehensive approach to mastering theoretical knowledge and acquiring high-tech professional competencies for future engineers. The laboratory serves as a platform for actively involving practitioners from leading enterprises in the gas industry in the training of specialists, allowing for the timely updating of higher education content in accordance with the demands of the economy and employers, and preparing professionals capable of applying modern information and communication technologies. Furthermore, within the framework of the project, software and hardware solutions are being developed to create objects of intellectual property, while the practice-oriented environment enhances the attractiveness of scientific and innovative activities for young people.

The uniqueness of the laboratory is that it applies a comprehensive range of domestically developed digital products for the first time in training future engineers. These products are virtually identical to those used in industrial enterprises and are accessible in real time. To ensure stable and secure operations, a specialized software networking solution has been implemented, providing the university with access to updated versions of digital tools "here and now," thereby guaranteeing the relevance of educational scenarios and compliance with modern industrial standards.