Decision-Making
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Decision-Making
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Decision-Making
Decision-Making
Decision-Making

30 October 2025

Digital Twin for Innovative Air Services: Enabling Air Mobility through AI

Authors: Andrea Giannobile, Paolo Spagnoletti                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Abstract: In the picturesque yet rugged terrains of Northern Italy, a distress call from the Alpine emergency services signals an urgent situation: a hiker has been severely injured during a climb. The hiker is located in a remote, mountainous area where weather conditions are deteriorating, and the terrain is too challenging for traditional rescue methods. The clock is ticking, and the need for an immediate response is paramount. Emergency responders are faced with a dilemma—how can they quickly and safely reach the injured hiker before the situation worsens? This scenario underscores the vital role of advanced air service technology. The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), responsible for overseeing airspace safety and compliance, coordinates the deployment of a medical emergency drone. This decision reflects a broader trend in aviation technology, where Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) are becoming essential tools in enhancing not only emergency responseoperations but also other critical sectors such as logistics, infrastructure inspection, andtransportation. The integration of these innovative technologies into existing airspacesystems is not without its challenges. Safety, regulatory compliance, and airspacemanagement become more complex as the skies fill with manned and unmanned vehicles.To address these challenges, ENAC embarked on a transformative project—HyperTwin.This sophisticated digital twin platform is designed to streamline the authorization andmanagement of innovative air services like drone operations. By utilizing advancedsimulations and real-time data analysis, HyperTwin aims to improve decision-making andensure the safety of airspace in complex and critical situations.In this teaching case, we will explore the strategic decision-making processes behindHyperTwin’s development, the technological challenges ENAC faced, the collaborativeefforts with various stakeholders, and the communication strategies employed. This casenot only provides a detailed look at how HyperTwin came to be but also delves into broaderimplications of digital transformation for the aviation industry and public administration. Download Case Study Request Teaching Notes

Case Studies

30 October 2025

Organizing amid the Fog of War: data-driven decision makingin high-reliable operations

Authors: Andrea Salvi, Paolo Spagnoletti                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Abstract: Uncertainty is a constant and systematic element on the battlefield and profoundly influence military operations. As Clausewitz (1982) argued, war is intrinsically bound to chance and a thick fog embraces decision-making in that context. This element dictates the need for frontline military functions to craft and implement processes to confront contingencies while minimizing the chances of errors and maximizing reliability. Mission-oriented organizing is an organizational doctrine (often called “Mission Command”) created to address these systemic characteristics through diffused leadership and collective mindfulness. In other words, members of the organization should have situational awareness towards the missions’ ends and be able to contribute to the decision-making process if the contingencies dictate so. Accordingly, digital systems and awareness-enhancing tools may be powerful mediums for mission-oriented organizing and may prove instrumental to the flourishing of beneficial practices in frontline contexts. Yet, data on which these systems rely may be inaccurate, discontinued or simply not available due to technical malfunctioning or human errors. Those pitfalls, given the peculiarities of the settings whereby frontline military organizations, can be extremely costly in terms of resources and human lives. Over-reliance on these systems may hamper the organizational nature of frontline functions and hinder their resilience and focus on reliability. This teaching case brings the users amid the fog of war (Willink & Babin, 2017): it takes place in the Ma’Laab district in Iraq during the “Second Battle of Ramadi” (2006). U.S. Forces and Iraqi Soldiers are conducting a series of operations to retake the district from the clutch of insurgents. They sweep through several areas of the city checking each building and each compound to detect hostile forces and to dismantle stashes of explosive materials and weapons. While on a mission, troops are monitored through a GPS tracking system called “Blue Force Tracker” (BFT). The system sends the position of allied troops (“blue”) to the Tactical Operations Centre (TOC) and each user can input enemy positions, obstacles, and other tactically relevant elements. During one particular “sortie”, the TOC receives a fierce firefight report from a U.S. Marine Corps Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) platoon - accompanied by an Iraqi platoon - with an unknown enemy unit hiding in building H204. Accordingly, the threat is inputted and mapped on the system. The marines report heavy fire from a compound, that resulted one casualty and several wounded operators. The TOC sends in a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) of armored infantry consisting of four Humvees to relieve the units that are still under the fire of an unseen enemy hiding behind concrete walls. Contemporaneously, the TOC gets another request for a QRF: a SEAL1 sniper squad in the same area - with declared position in a building (H142) - asks for immediate armored support calling in two Abrams Tanks. They are pinned due to heavy enemy fire: the squad is surrounded, outnumbered, and requires support for immediate extraction. The ANGLICO team – still engaged in the firefight -asks for clearance for an airstrike on the building in order the neutralize the threat. TOC immediately realizes what is happening. The SEAL sniper squad originally appeared to be in H204 on the BFT, they then declared by radio that they were abandoning the location to relocate in another building, then their trace disappeared from the system. The teaching case focuses on data-driven decision making in high-reliable operations and shows the advantages and pitfalls of live tracking systems in emergency frontline situations. Moreover, it highlights the interplay between technologies and coordination practices under extreme conditions. Download Case Study Request Teaching Notes

Case Studies