Bentley Systems Research Reveals Digital Gap Threatening Infrastructure Resilience
Climate resilience has become a board-level priority for infrastructure owners, yet many organisations remain constrained by the very systems intended to help them manage risk. New research released during London Climate Action Week suggests that the greatest obstacle is no longer a lack of awareness about climate threats, but the inability to convert vast volumes of operational data into actionable intelligence.
The findings point towards a significant change in investment priorities across the infrastructure sector. Rather than simply expanding monitoring capabilities, owners and operators of transport, water, energy and mining assets are increasingly directing capital towards digital twins and artificial intelligence that can integrate fragmented information, identify emerging vulnerabilities and support predictive maintenance. The trend reflects a broader recognition that resilience depends as much on digital infrastructure as it does on physical assets.
Briefing
- More than 80% of infrastructure organisations report having mature or developing resilience strategies.
- Over two-thirds identify fragmented data and disconnected digital systems as their biggest technical barriers.
- More than 70% intend to increase investment in digital twins during the next two years.
- AI is already being deployed for inspections and predictive failure analysis across critical infrastructure.
- The research argues that resilience must evolve from individual asset management towards integrated network-wide decision-making.
The execution gap is becoming the industry’s biggest resilience challenge
For much of the past decade, resilience strategies have centred on strengthening physical infrastructure against increasingly frequent floods, storms, heatwaves and other climate-related hazards. Most large asset owners now have documented resilience plans, yet the new study commissioned by Bentley Systems and conducted by Verdantix indicates that implementation continues to lag behind strategic intent.
That disconnect matters because climate impacts rarely affect infrastructure in isolation. A flood affecting one transport corridor can disrupt power supplies, supply chains, communications and emergency response simultaneously. Understanding these cascading effects requires operators to analyse interconnected systems rather than individual bridges, pipelines or substations. The report argues that many organisations still lack the digital architecture needed to achieve this wider operational perspective.
Infrastructure resilience has consequently become less about collecting additional data and more about connecting existing information. Asset management platforms, engineering models, operational technology, environmental monitoring and maintenance records often remain isolated within separate software environments, limiting the ability of engineering teams to identify emerging patterns before failures occur.
Digital twins move beyond design into operational resilience
Digital twins have often been associated with design coordination and construction planning, but their role is expanding rapidly into operational asset management. The Verdantix research suggests that infrastructure owners increasingly see open digital twins as the foundation for integrating engineering, operational and environmental information into a common decision-making environment.
Unlike conventional three-dimensional models, operational digital twins continuously combine live sensor information, engineering data, inspection records and external datasets such as weather forecasts. This enables operators to simulate future conditions, prioritise maintenance interventions and understand how failures in one location may affect wider infrastructure networks.
The growing emphasis on open digital twins also reflects changing procurement priorities. Large infrastructure owners typically operate assets developed over many decades using multiple engineering platforms and technologies. Open data environments allow organisations to integrate legacy systems rather than replacing them entirely, reducing implementation costs while improving visibility across entire infrastructure portfolios.
Artificial intelligence is becoming operational rather than experimental
Artificial intelligence is also moving beyond pilot programmes into routine engineering operations. According to the research, half of surveyed organisations already employ AI-assisted inspections, while more than 40% have implemented AI-powered failure prediction capabilities.
This evolution reflects broader advances in computer vision, machine learning and predictive analytics. Inspection teams increasingly use AI to analyse imagery collected from drones, mobile mapping systems and fixed monitoring equipment, enabling earlier identification of structural defects and maintenance requirements.
Predictive maintenance offers particularly significant commercial benefits. Rather than responding after equipment failure or relying solely on fixed maintenance schedules, operators can anticipate deterioration and intervene before service disruptions occur. For transport authorities, utilities and industrial operators managing thousands of geographically dispersed assets, this can improve reliability while reducing lifecycle costs.
However, AI performance ultimately depends on the quality of the underlying data. Poor integration between operational systems limits the effectiveness of predictive algorithms, reinforcing the report’s conclusion that digital integration remains the critical prerequisite for intelligent infrastructure management.
Climate adaptation increasingly demands system-wide thinking
The report’s emphasis on interconnected infrastructure reflects an important shift in resilience planning internationally. Governments are increasingly recognising that infrastructure assets cannot be assessed independently when climate risks frequently span multiple sectors simultaneously.
Transport networks depend upon reliable electricity supplies. Water infrastructure relies on communications systems and power generation. Ports connect directly to road, rail and logistics infrastructure. Digital communications underpin virtually every operational technology platform now deployed across critical infrastructure.
Amit Prothi, Director General of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), summarised this challenge in the report’s foreword: “As climate-driven disruptions become more frequent and interconnected, infrastructure resilience must move from policy ambition to operational reality. Investments in risk-informed planning, data systems, and digital capabilities can significantly reduce the cascading impacts of infrastructure disruptions. Building resilience requires a system-wide approach.”
The increasing focus on interconnected risk is also evident across London Climate Action Week, where infrastructure resilience features prominently within discussions covering transport, finance and climate adaptation. Policymakers are placing greater emphasis on integrating engineering practice, financing mechanisms and digital capabilities to strengthen national infrastructure resilience.
Funding resilience increasingly requires measurable evidence
Beyond operational efficiency, better digital integration may also influence investment decisions. Infrastructure resilience projects frequently compete for limited public and private funding, requiring clear evidence that proposed investments will deliver measurable long-term value.
Priyanka Bawa, Principal Analyst at Verdantix, highlighted this commercial dimension: “The research highlights a fundamental operational challenge. While most organisations have a resilience strategy in place, their digital systems are rarely integrated enough to execute it. When critical information remains siloed, infrastructure owners cannot accurately assess complex network vulnerabilities or demonstrate the clear return on investment necessary to secure future funding.”
The ability to quantify resilience outcomes is becoming increasingly important as governments introduce climate disclosure requirements and investors scrutinise long-term infrastructure risks. Better data integration enables owners to model future scenarios, evaluate intervention strategies and justify capital expenditure using evidence rather than assumptions.
From reactive maintenance towards predictive infrastructure management
The research ultimately illustrates a broader transition taking place across infrastructure management. Traditional maintenance models, built around inspections and reactive repairs, are gradually giving way to predictive approaches supported by continuous digital intelligence.
Chris Bradshaw, Bentley’s Chief Sustainability and Education Officer, believes the sector already possesses much of the necessary information: “Infrastructure professionals already collect much of the data needed to understand climate-related risks. The biggest barrier is fragmentation. Open digital twins help address this challenge by bringing disparate data sources into a single, accessible environment. This integration enables engineering teams to move from reactive maintenance toward predictive insights and more proactive, long-term resilience planning.”
As infrastructure networks face mounting climate pressures alongside ageing assets and constrained budgets, digital integration is emerging as a strategic capability rather than simply another technology investment. Organisations that successfully combine engineering information, operational data and predictive analytics are likely to make better-informed decisions about maintenance priorities, investment timing and long-term resilience, creating infrastructure that is not only stronger, but significantly more adaptable to an increasingly uncertain climate future.
