New Zealand can better plan for complex challenges through development of powerful new modelling tools.  

PHF Science’s innovative digital twin capability ALMA (Aotearoa Large-scale Multi Agent simulator) is a virtual replica of Aotearoa. It lets us explore ‘what-if’ scenarios, such as, how infectious diseases spread and the impact of climate change. This innovative capability is acknowledged as being of national significance in shaping the future. 

At the core of ALMA is a synthetic population of 5+ million virtual Kiwis. Each with their own life diary that enables these virtual Kiwis to simulate lives through time and space across the unique geography of New Zealand. Synthetic data in this context enables us to accurately model what is important without compromising the privacy of individuals. 

Wrapped around the synthetic population is a smart AI predictive modelling solution that enables deep understanding of complex systems and interactions. This includes causal discovery of related factors that provide insights into how systems actually work, so targeted actionable plans can be developed. 

The origin of this capability lies in COVID‑19 pandemic modelling and the need to better inform decision‑making for any future outbreaks. PHF Science learned from the best in the world at the time and in true Kiwi style, created something unique. New Zealand has the advantage of our relatively small population size to effectively model and predict future scenarios - creating the opportunity to improve the lives of all Kiwis.