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Many efforts from multiple academic and industrial disciplines have studied the notion of context. The systems engineering and human systems integration fields, however, lack a generalized definition and characterization of context, in particular the operational context of complex sociotechnical systems. This paper reviews context definitions and builds a generalized definition of the operational context of complex sociotechnical systems. The objective is then to identify and extract context properties which are often implicit in the literature and do not necessarily appear in the definitions. However, eliciting them is helpful for understanding what context is made of, how it relates to complex sociotechnical systems comprising human and non‐human agents, and how an early understanding of the operational context can prove valuable to designing efficient and robust systems. Our analysis is followed by an example of how our definition and derived properties apply to the case study of the design of a remote and virtual air traffic control center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Test and evaluation (TE) planning is a critical part of systems engineering. However, it has not received as much attention from digital engineering efforts as early‐stage design and analysis. Digital engineering has the potential to reduce the risk and effort associated with TE, while leveraging existing digital capabilities to add value. One aspect in particular that may benefit from such attention is the Department of Defense's Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP). The purpose of the TEMP is to identify the key processes with respect to the TE of a product, and to specify the roles and responsibilities of key personnel and organizations. Concerns have been raised regarding the document‐based nature of the TEMP and the increased risk and reduced reward that this entails. In this paper, we investigate the potential benefits of digitalizing the TEMP and outline an incremental approach for achieving this. We also present a set of ontologies, collectively known as the Digital TEMP (dTEMP), and investigate potential benefits and limitations by applying the dTEMP to an example test program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) is a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) of the US Department of Defense (DoD) formed in 2008 with more than 20 collaborator universities in the United States. Over the last decade, SERC has conducted research with Principal Investigators from universities within the SERC network, as reflected in technical reports (TR). These reports describe detailed information and analysis of the conducted research for every project under SERC support, such as written records of experiments or results of a scientific project. We analyzed the TRs from 2009 to early 2023 to identify research streams, topics, and evolution in systems engineering (SE) research using text mining and network analysis techniques, such as Louvain Community Detection and word similarity. As a result, we identified four major research streams over a decade of research projects, along with insights about topics and the evolution of SE within this time frame. Finally, we distinguished most profile authors and their most significant collaborations and networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient production systems are necessary for the realization of products that fulfil customer needs and delivery requirements. However, the process of designing the production system has received little academic attention and today's manufacturing system design processes and architecture are still based on traditional engineering methods. This study covers a case study using visual requirements modeling for the design of a production system for a new product. A comprehensive prescriptive study was designed combined with attempts to verify the methods used. A total of six workshops, development of models to define requirements to select concepts, and two validation studies are documented. A total of 166 persons participated, and up to 15 persons participated in the validation workshops. The analysis shows that the method addressed several of the gaps identified in literature: (1) the lack of systematic and effective systems engineering design methods in production system design, and (2) the lack of inclusion of human aspects in the production system design. The gaps in the effectiveness of the methods remain to be fully evaluated, as the project is still running and will not be concluded until 2025. Recommendations for future work include exploring further the management mechanisms of systems engineering, which type of competences does the future engineer need and how production system design engineers can learn more from other disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechatronic systems become ever more complex because of their increasing number of interconnected safety critical components and sophistication. MBSE (Model‐based Systems Engineering) and MBSA (Model‐Based Safety Assessment) are the most commonly adopted approaches to deal with the design and safety analysis of mechatronic systems. Unfortunately, both approaches are normally adopted separately, especially in the earlier phases of system design, thus leading to a lack of communication between system engineers and the safety team. This work aims to fill that gap at a high level, that is, through process interaction. This paper proposes an enhanced V‐model for the design of safety‐critical mechatronic systems. It relates a system development process with specific safety assessment methods. Specifically, the proposed workflow details exchange flows between the RFLP (Requirements, Functional, Logical, Physical) method, the FHA (Functional Hazard Analysis), the FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), the MBSA and simulation, and the FTA (Fault Tree Analysis). These analyses are complemented with multiphysics modeling and simulation to observe system behavior in functional and failure scenarios, with the aim of requirements verification. The design workflow has been applied to a winged Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to apply the parallel process and the necessary interaction of MBSE and MBSA approaches. The information flows between the individual activities proved effective for designing a safe system before the verification phase. The main benefit of the proposed workflow is providing both the design and safety team with some interaction points, thus avoiding a lack of safety‐critical analysis in the early phases of system design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient resources and high costs are hindering industrial development, potentially impeding adaptation to market demands. Overcoming this challenge necessitates advancements in software engineering techniques to streamline processes and meet industrial requirements. Crucially, automating manual tasks and enhancing interoperability between engineering stages can yield efficiency gains. This paper presents a model‐based system engineering approach aimed at automating the transition from design to implementation, incorporating autonomous generation and validation features. Implemented as plugins and utilizing model transformation techniques, this solution targets reducing engineering time and facilitating the adoption of new technologies. Developed, implemented, and tested within the Arrowhead framework, the approach is followed by a discussion on its benefits and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust and trusted digital human representations are necessary to successfully account for human considerations in model‐based systems engineering (MBSE). Multiple domains and modeling frameworks leverage verification, validation, and accreditation (VV&A) processes to characterize when and under what conditions a model is valid to establish credibility. A literature review was completed on mathematical, physics‐based, software development, discrete event simulation, agent‐based, system dynamics, and MBSE models with the goal of proposing a process for performing VV&A on digital engineering (DE) and MBSE models for sociotechnical systems. However, this research also revealed the need for a broader framework to characterize the risk associated with using these models for making high‐consequence decisions. While accomplishing the literature review, another approach to building credibility was identified that is used heavily in the financial industry, namely model risk management (MRM). This process is extended by leveraging MRM approaches from within the financial community to propose a framework for sociotechnical model users to characterize the risk of using MBSE models to make programmatic decisions. The primary contribution of this work is to document a meta‐analysis of model VV&A while proposing an alternative approach to characterizing and communicating credibility that was discovered during this analysis. This approach could be a viable option for ensuring the credibility of human systems integration in MBSE models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the effectiveness of common engineering processes in conducting system assessments, with a focus on legacy system assessments, which are currently a barrier to legacy system evolution. These processes include reverse systems engineering (RSE), which remains in its infancy, and more established processes such as software and hardware reverse engineering. The study assesses these methods to better understand their ability to define systems of interest and meet the criteria set by the four horsemen of traditional systems engineering, as defined by Rebovich and White, and the International Council of Systems Engineering. Additionally, RE techniques are reviewed to ensure that a formal, systems‐level process—with detailed steps and diagrams—is documented and accessible to systems or reverse engineers. Lastly, this investigation elucidates the ability of each reverse engineering process to discover, recover, or reproduce information pertaining to the systems of interest that is missing, incomplete, or outdated in documentation relevant to the development or operations of that system. This information can be used to better understand the areas of RSE that still need to be developed and aid in the maturation of a repeatable process that is applicable to legacy systems. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the further development of the Enterprise Lifecycle Model proposed by Terry and Chandrasekar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a system‐theoretic study of how System‐of‐Systems (SoS) evolution can be steered towards any desirable direction. For practitioners, this is a non‐trivial undertaking because of the potential resistance to change from the independent constituents. In this paper, we highlight this subject as a gap in the literature on SoS evolution, but not only. We review the characteristics of the SoS evolution context to establish that, despite the limitations in visibility and control, a SoS will still exhibit many evolutionary tendencies and dynamics, which can be harnessed for steering its evolution. Based on that, we present a set of six 6 prescriptive heuristics which practitioners can turn to when they need a SoS to move in any desired direction. These heuristics optimize for making the best use of one's available (direct and indirect) leverages. The usefulness and broad applicability of the proposed heuristics are illustrated through case studies of two distinct real‐world SoSs, namely, the Internet and the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value is crucial to lean product development (LPD) and set‐based design (SBD). Nevertheless, the literature needs to present more research on value definition and deployment to support exploring the design space. This scenario hinders the operationalization of lean initiatives in product development. This paper proposes a value deployment (VD) method for SBD, applying quality function deployment (QFD) matrices. We undertook a research action on the design of a TRL‐6 magnetic air conditioner. As a result, we aligned teams and development efforts toward value, building clarity and cohesion about the contribution of subsystems to product performance. Furthermore, VD enabled the integration of manufacturing in decision‐making. Our work paves the way for SBD in terms of practical relevance for industrial and systems engineering, assisting managers in adopting LPD and aligning integrated product teams toward value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the resilience of modern infrastructure systems is recognized as a priority by both the International Council on Systems Engineering and the National Academy of Engineering. Resilience answers the key stakeholder need for a stable and predictable system by withstanding, adapting to, and recovering from unexpected faults. Increasing resilience in multi‐agent systems is especially challenging because resilience is an emergent system‐level property rather than the sum of individual agent functions. This paper uses biological systems as a source of inspiration for resilient functions, examining the central question How can biologically inspired design be used to increase the emergent property of resilience in multi‐agent systems? The paper uses functional decomposition to break down the individual functions that result in resilience and transfer the properties to generalized systems. Accordingly, the central hypothesis examined in this article is If functional decomposition is performed on eusocial insect colonies, then generalizable approaches to increase the emergent property of multi‐agent system resilience can be identified. The results provide two contributions. The first contribution is the identification of six general functions based on eusocial insect behavior that influence resilience. The second contribution is a description of the process of identifying and transferring insect behaviors into generalized design‐for‐resilience guidance. To support these contributions, a case study applies biologically inspired functions to an emergency power service system and proposes tactics for the power system to improve its resilience. Thus, this article provides a key step towards our goal of using biologically inspired design to influence the emergent property of resilience in multi‐agent systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systems engineering's evolutionary trajectory has been far from linear, and its future direction is uncertain. We present an assessment and vision of how SE might evolve to enduringly be impactful and relevant, despite growing complexity and radical technological change. We discuss how SE started out focused on achieving technical objectives, then drifted towards a more process and methodology focus, and is now responding to calls to return to its roots under the banner of "attaining elegant solutions to complex problems." We discuss how SE has always been a transdiscipline, although it was not always so recognized, and how SE is now increasingly recognizing and valuing its transdisciplinary nature. We present our view that the future of SE as an impactful and relevant engineering discipline lies in the strengthening of its transdisciplinarity and an increased focus on attaining elegant solutions to complex problems. We present a framework for understanding the nature of SE and the way in which it evolves in terms of its principles, methods and purposes. We show that SE is informed by, and informs many disciplines and social institutions in a dynamic ecology of discovery, achievement and vision. Lastly, we discuss the value of this framework, and show how it can serve as a basis for developing a common understanding of the value and potential of SE, and support institutions such as INCOSE as they engage in the wider social agenda of building a better and more sustainable world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have increasingly been used in a wide variety of missions that range from surveillance to delivery. Unlike aircraft that always carry goods and passengers from an airport to another, UAVs do not systematically implement the same type of mission. UAVs are indeed multi‐mission during their time in operation, and the systems engineering approaches developed for one mission aircraft must be adapted to the multi‐mission context. Therefore, UAV design requires application of mission engineering upstream systems engineering, either to assess there is a UAV system that may accomplish a new mission, or to specify a new UAV system according to a given mission. To achieve that goal, the authors of the paper support the use of Model‐Based Mission Engineering. A three‐layer architecture ‐ purpose, operation, functions or capabilities ‐ is proposed as a design framework for missions. The Goal‐Oriented Requirements Language (GRL) serves as mission description language. The paper extends GRL to better address mission‐based design of UAVs. It is proposed to distinguish between internal and external resources. A goal detailing mechanism is introduced. A degraded mode evaluation becomes possible. GRL tools make it possible to evaluate how much a UAV system ‐ at least, an operator, a ground station, and a UAV ‐ may satisfy every stakeholder in both nominal and degraded modes. The proposed approach is applied to a high voltage surveillance UAV. The case study enables the introduction of four actors—Authority, Client, UAV and MissionSupervisor—that turn out to be generic and can be reused for other missions and UAV designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the bacteria chemotaxis control process utilizing the System Modeling Language (SysML) to leverage well‐defined and proven engineering tools for architecting, analyzing, and refining complex systems. It proposes a new methodology called reverse‐engineering object‐oriented systems engineering method (RE‐OOSEM) that converts descriptive biology research information into descriptive systems engineering information. It utilizes SysML and model‐based systems engineering (MBSE) to capture system architecture from biological system knowledge and inputs them into systems engineering tools. From an engineering point of view, this allows greater insight into how biological systems operate and suggests how much model detail is required to uncover a top‐down system understanding. RE‐OOSEM methodology guides the SysML chemotaxis control capture process. SysML syntax is used instead of biological syntax to facilitate biological chemotaxis control system analysis from an engineered system point of view. The model can act as a scaffolding to help uncover system function, the relationships of system components and processes, and bioinformatic phenotype and genotype correlation. An executable MathWorks Stateflow chemotaxis control process model based on the SysML architectural model is included. The results show the following engineering perspective observations. (1) Several control components are not dedicated but are available and utilized when needed. (2) Individual chemoreceptors act together as a sensor array. (3) Phosphate groups act as a signaling mechanism. (4) Methylation via CH3 groups of the chemoreceptor results in sensitivity adaptation. (5) Closed‐loop control collaboratively utilizes ligand bonding, phosphorylation, and methylation. (6) Timing relationships of the control subprocesses give insight into the system's architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threat modeling is one of the foundations of secure systems engineering and must take heed of the context within which systems operate. In this work, we explore the extent to which real‐world systems engineering reflects a changing threat context. We examine the desktop clients of six widely used end‐to‐end‐encrypted mobile messaging applications to understand the extent to which they adjusted their threat model over space (when enabling clients on new platforms, such as desktop clients) and time (as new threats emerged). We experimented with short‐lived adversarial access against these desktop clients and analyzed the results using two popular threat elicitation frameworks, STRIDE and LINDDUN. The results demonstrate that system designers need to track threats in the evolving context within which systems operate and, more importantly, mitigate them by rescoping trust boundaries so that they remain consistent with administrative boundaries. A nuanced understanding of the relationship between trust and administration is vital for robust security, including the provision of safe defaults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex systems often operate in equilibriums that can be disrupted under specific conditions, driving the system to undergo an irreversible phase transition (aka tipping point) into a new equilibrium. Disruptive technology, as introduced in the book Innovator's Dilemma, is a new emerging technology that can successfully displace incumbent technologies and push the market through phase transition into a new equilibrium. In this paper, the authors model the market disruption caused by a disruptive technology as a complex system, with dynamics that show a phase transition or tipping point, after which the system shifts into a new equilibrium aiming at assessing the success or failure of a disruptive technology. The purpose of this study is to mathematically model a tipping point measure of complex networks and a theoretical framework for disruptive technology dynamics. A predator–prey model is used to emulate the behavior of a disruptive technology versus an incumbent technology, and a resilience index is integrated to measure the tipping point in the market where the disruptive technology will overtake the incumbent technology. This methodology is applied to a historical case study of film versus digital versus cell phone cameras, demonstrating the application of this methodology. The study's contribution can be applied to both systems engineering and disruptive innovation management. The proposed approach can help stakeholders assess the impact of a potential new disruptive technology and use the resulting resilience index as a measurement for adjusting technology requirements and systems management approaches to achieve a desired outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) has initiated a Future of Systems Engineering (FuSE) program that includes a stream for advancing the theoretical foundations of the discipline of Systems Engineering (SE). A near‐term goal of FuSE is to assess the adequacy of current theoretical foundations of SE. The discipline of SE is converging toward model‐based practices (i.e., MBSE) that have not yet reached the maturity of model‐based practices in other engineering domains. For example, finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics are grounded in mathematical theory, while, generally, MBSE is not. However, some attempts have been made to underpin MBSE with theoretical richness. This article presents a systematic literature study that surveyed state of the art on providing MBSE with mathematical foundations. Our protocol collected over 2000 publications that were reviewed for inclusion/exclusion, categorized, and analyzed. We provide insights to the type of mathematical theories used, domains of applications, and areas of SE to which the math was applied to, among other analysis. We also provide a synthesized discussion about the field moving forward, emphasizing positive trends along with the negatives and areas of concern. Overall, we found the field to be nascent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa has a history of poor performance on process plant acquisition projects in the process industry that apply chemical processes within large processing facilities to convert raw materials such as crude oil into fuel and by‐products. The most recent failures include the highly publicized Medupi and Kusile projects. This research is based on the acquisition or expansion of large process plants within petrochemical, mining, and energy, typically Systems of Systems integration projects. A significant component of their failings can be attributed to poor systems engineering and systems engineering management capabilities. Acquisition in the context of this study refers to all processes within the stage‐gate project development model from project inception to the beneficial operation of the acquired facility. Due to a lack of systems and tools to guide the development of systems engineers and systems engineering managers within the sector, this research was undertaken to develop an industry‐specific framework based on the INCOSE framework to support development and recruitment processes. A conceptual model derived from a literature survey was validated and improved with qualitative data gathered using structured open‐ended interviews with industry specialists and experts from organizations within the petrochemical, mining, and energy sectors. Insights regarding current recruitment practices and development processes were analyzed to validate the need for a tool and develop an appropriate model for its application. Finally, the analysis and general causes of project failures validated the contents of the framework by highlighting critical competencies and traits required to succeed within the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing a sounding rocket is an interdisciplinary activity, involving many domains and many stages. The alignment between the disciplines and life cycle stages is not straightforward. Much effort is required in life cycle model management and tailoring processes. In this article, an objective was set to make a comparative study and analysis of life cycle concepts related to Malaysian university‐scale sounding rocket development, to assist in any future life cycle tailoring. Toward that goal, a comprehensive review and analysis of the related life cycle models was performed. The review covered three dimensions: engineering standards, aerospace vehicle design (AVD), and actual sounding rockets projects. Many reviewed models were re‐prescribed using model‐based systems engineering (MBSE) diagrams. This allowed greater insight and better assistance for any future tailoring. This expedition stresses the importance of the proposed three‐dimensional reviewing of life cycles. Unconventional life cycle models (e.g., Western vs. Eastern) have also been included. It is argued that mapping the standards onto actual projects improved insight. One of the important outcomes is the demonstration of the importance of the concept of the centrality of the values in the development process, which shall govern the stakeholders’ requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the connected age of the model‐based enterprise and model‐based systems engineering (MBSE), new systems engineering tools are needed to move from a functional, document‐centric, hierarchical view of data and information to the individual units of data or data element level view. Data element mapping and analysis (DEMA) is a technology‐agnostic analytical methodology that combines traditional functional analysis techniques, systems engineering elicitation practices, and novel data mapping techniques to provide a holistic view of a system's data and information flows at the individual units of data (data element level). In this research, DEMA was utilized to enable an enhanced system definition for the development of a verification and validation process as applied to a modeling and simulation environment. DEMA uncovered and visually mapped the hidden flow of approximately 1600 data vessel occurrences as inputs or outputs to 79 functional activities in 23 disparate storage locations. The results reveal that DEMA is a practical tool for both improving existing systems and defining new systems. The data element level view captured by DEMA can be used to define the interconnections between the system elements that are input to systems modeling language (SysML) models. Therefore, DEMA is a necessary and novel tool that can be used to enable system digitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of a common executable modeling framework that integrates systems engineering, software design, and other engineering domains is a major impediment to seamless product development processes. Our research aims to overcome this system‐software modeling gap by integrating computational, software‐related, and model execution capabilities into OPM‐based conceptual modeling, resulting in a holistic unified executable quantitative‐qualitative modeling framework. The gap is overcome via a Methodical Approach to Executable Integrative Modeling—MAXIM, an extension of OPM ISO 19450:2015, a standardization approvement given on 2015. We present the principles of MAXIM and demonstrate its operation within OPCloud—a web‐based collaborative conceptual OPM modeling framework. As a proof‐of‐concept, a model of an Airbus civil aircraft landing gear braking system is constructed and executed. Using MAXIM, engineers from five domains can collaborate at the very early phase of the system development and jointly construct a unified model that fuses qualitative and quantitative aspects of the various disciplines. This case study illustrates an important first step towards satisfying the critical and growing need to integrate systems engineering with software computations into a unified framework that enables a smooth transition from high‐level architecting to detailed, discipline‐oriented design. Such a framework is a key to agile yet robust future development of software‐intensive systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model‐based systems engineering (MBSE) is rapidly gaining popularity among U.S. industries. Though industry practitioners and academic researchers have identified several advantages in transitioning to MBSE, several adoption challenges of MBSE in industries, such as insufficient tool knowledge, lack of skilled personnel, and resistance in organizations toward a shift to MBSE, are observed. Attesting to the challenges in industry adoption of MBSE, a previous research study by the authors characterized the adoption challenges as tools‐based, knowledge‐based, cultural, political, and cost‐related, and customer understanding and acceptance of MBSE practices. This study is motivated to explore further and address the challenge of low MBSE tool knowledge and lack of skilled personnel with MBSE knowledge for industry adoption. This paper presents a two‐phased research approach framed by an overarching question of the extent to which the MBSE academic curriculum is aligned with industry workforce requirements. In Phase 1 of the study, we survey industry professionals from Defense, Aerospace, Automotive, and other industry clusters to identify MBSE tools, languages, and concepts preferred by industry professionals in a candidate for hire. This is followed by Phase 2 of the survey targeted at academic institutions with Systems and MBSE programs to analyze the extent to which MBSE curricula reflect industry workforce hiring requirements. Further, we also identify the challenges reported in academic institutions in training the Workforce on MBSE. The contributions of this paper are two‐fold: providing a pathway for academic institutions to align their curricula to MBSE industry workforce requirements and triggering discussion in the broader MBSE community to identify strategies for addressing MBSE adoption challenges and training future model‐based systems engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specification of requirements and tests are crucial activities in automotive development projects. However, due to the increasing complexity of automotive systems, practitioners fail to specify requirements and tests for distributed and evolving systems with complex interactions when following traditional development processes. To address this research gap, we propose a technique that starts with the early identification of validation concerns from a stakeholder perspective, which we use to systematically design tests that drive a scenario‐based modeling and analysis of system requirements. To ensure complete and consistent requirements and test specifications in a form that is required in automotive development projects, we develop a Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodology. This methodology supports system architects and test designers in the collaborative application of our technique and in maintaining a central system model, in order to automatically derive the required specifications. We evaluate our methodology by applying it at KOSTAL (Tier1 supplier) and within student projects as part of the masters program Embedded Systems Engineering. Our study corroborates that our methodology is applicable and improves existing requirements and test specification processes by supporting the integrated and stakeholder‐focused modeling of product and validation systems, where the early definition of stakeholder and validation concerns fosters a problem‐oriented, iterative and test‐driven requirements modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology roadmapping is an important yet challenging strategic process involving inter‐disciplinary knowledge and requiring key decision‐makers participation. To improve and facilitate this activity, a concept of model‐based technology roadmapping has been proposed in the literature as an application of model‐based systems engineering practices to the strategic planning domain. At the same time, many modern complex technical systems are required to be not only functional, efficient, and reliable, but also useful, usable, and desirable, which shifts the focus of planning to the user experience (UX). In this paper, we developed a Domain‐specific language that uniformly represents key concepts related to the four levels essential for strategic planning in the user‐oriented business context: market, UX design, engineering design, and technology. A collaborative interactive software was developed to support the proposed methodology. As a case study, a sustainable transformation of the automotive sector was tested and implemented in the software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current surveys indicate limited public and individual trust in autonomous vehicles despite a long tradition to ensure their (technical) trustworthiness in informatics and systems engineering. To address this trust gap, this article explores the underlying reasons. The article elaborates on the gap between trust understood as a social phenomenon and, in contrast, the research tradition aimed at guaranteeing (technical) trustworthiness. It discusses to what extent those research traditions in the social sciences and humanities have been recognized and reflected in systems engineering research to date. Trust, according to the current state of research in the social sciences and humanities, heavily relies on individual assessments of an autonomous vehicle's abilities, benevolence and integrity. By contrast, technical trustworthiness is defined as the sum of intersubjective, measurable, technical parameters. They describe certain abilities or properties of a system, often according to respective technical standards and norms. This article places the "explainability" of autonomous systems in a bridging role. Explainability can help to conceptualize an integrative trust layer to communicate a system's abilities, benevolence and integrity. As such, explainability should respect the individual and situational needs of users, and should therefore be responsive. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that "learning from life" requires extensive interdisciplinary collaboration with neighboring research fields. This novel perspective on trustworthiness aligns existing research areas. It delves deeper into the conceptual "how", dives into the intricacies and showcases (missing) interconnectedness in the state of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the demand to reduce the release of CO2$_2$‐rich gases into the atmosphere, the offshore industry is turning to systems for gas capture and storage. The construction of a cave for that purpose is planned in the salt layer of the Santos Basin, Brazil; however, numerous factors bring uncertainties to the project. We propose combining systems engineering methods and digital twin technology to enable system concept and execution aiming at value robustness. The system is modeled in mission, subsystems, components, and design attributes. System utilities and costs are estimated for a range of viable solutions based on the relevance of each attribute to the stakeholders. The alternatives are evaluated using the Epoch‐Era Analysis framework for analyzing the system's performance over time in changing future scenarios. The system model also outlines a digital twin concept and identifies how it might support salt cave design and operations. Finally, the potential of tuning and improving system evaluation based on gathered data is examined, and measures toward further digital twin development are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper brings a systems engineering approach to policymaking in the context of violent radicalization. We test strategies to combat terrorism under the premise that violent radicalization is a complex system of social contagion resulting in terrorism. We built a simulation using DIME‐PMESII military standards to replicate a terror contagion occurring over 10 years in both physical and online environments under optimal, realistic, and worst‐case scenarios. We then tested antiterrorism, counterterrorism, and counter radicalization strategies as policy experiments in this simulation. These experiments identified four key dynamics relevant for developing policies to reduce terrorism. First, most well‐known policies are ineffective in containing terrorism driven by social contagion. Second, strategies generating backlash can become worse than doing nothing at all. Third, perceived grievance determines the carrying capacity of terrorism in a system, allowing disrupted networks to regenerate. Fourth, variable public support may result in sharp secondary waves of violence under certain contingencies. Experimenting with our model, we explore effective ways to address the violent radicalization problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increases in the magnitudes and frequencies of climate‐related extreme events are redistributing risk across coastal systems, including their environmental, economic, and social components. Consequently, stakeholders (SHs) are faced with long‐term challenges and complex information when managing assets, services, and uses of the coast. In this context, SH engagement is a key step for risk management and in the preparation of resilience plans to respond and adapt to climate change. This paper develops a participatory method to identify and prioritize a set of risk measures, combining multi‐criteria analysis with sensitivity analysis. The process involved local and regional authorities of the Veneto region testing the method, including national, regional, and local government, catchment officers, research organizations, natural parks managers and Non‐Governmental Organizations (NGOs). SHs identified and ranked a range of adaptation measures to increase climate resilience, with a focus on coastal risk in the Venice lagoon. Results demonstrate that the sensitivity analysis provides useful information on how different sectors of expertise can influence the ranking of the identified risk management measures, highlighting the value of investigating the preferences or priorities of different SH groups within the definition of adaptation plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) might be understood and applied across diverse communities and industries differently, its fundamental principles and practices described in INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook, are common. It is known that successful application of MBSE is impossible without a tool, language, and method as well as harmony among these three. The de‐facto standard modeling language for MBSE is Systems Modeling Language (SysML). However, SysML is only a language, and it is not aligned with terminology systems engineers use daily in their work. This paper studies SysML as the standard language to model systems, and MagicGrid as the framework to bridge the gap between Systems Engineering (SE) terminology described in the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook and SysML specification. It proposes a new systems engineering meta‐model to describe a common SE terminology and bind it to the SysML concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence has experienced an extraordinary growth. Systems Engineering is a discipline where the implementation of AI can be challenging, but that could immensely benefit from its capabilities. This paper presents one of the many implementations that AI can have within the Systems Engineering field. AI has been leveraged to create an algorithm that allows for the automatic identification and classification of requirements within a specific engineering sector: large railway projects. While text classification algorithms are well established, the key to a successful implementation of a requirements classification algorithm lays on the effective structurization of the data, as well as the high quality of the training datasets. This paper describes how an AI‐based requirements classification algorithm has been planned and trained to effectively classify requirements in future documents based on systems and subsystems from a System Breakdown Structure (SBS), as well as to predict the adequate method of verification for both the Design and Testing and Commissioning stages of a railway project. Finally, the paper showcases how the use of this AI‐based requirements classifier does not only lower the probability of human error, but also reduces ∼75% human workload per project. Additionally, overall ∼30% cost savings to organizations are expected in a 10‐year period in the task of classifying requirements with respect to manual classification performed by subject matter experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INCOSE's Systems Engineering Vision 2035 includes thirty‐one mentions of security as part of the vision, including security to become as foundational a perspective to system design as performance and safety. INCOSE's Systems Engineering Principles technical product published a "first set of systems principles" (Watson, et al., 2022). This paper examines interpretations of these principles for security as captured in the vision and suggests modifications and possible additional principles to see security more integrated into the systems engineering process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracing requirements specification to design and implementation is an essential part of safety standards, as it allows to ensure that safety goals are met throughout the development process. Manual tracing numerous artifacts produced throughout the development process is error‐prone and takes much time. To address these problems, we proposed a tool (Bonner, M.; Zeller, M.; Schulz, G.; Beyer, D.; Olteanu, M., 2023), which allows to establish links between requirements and Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) in a semi‐automatic way. The underlying algorithms of our tool are embedding similarity computation and classification approaches based on Large Language Models (LLMs). To assess the performance of underlying algorithm we propose an evaluation, where we compare the recall, the precision, and the F2 score of different approaches applied to our datasets. The goal of our evaluation is to understand how well LLMs perform in automatically generating trace links on different datasets. Our evaluation shows that it is worth to invest time in preprocessing the data and fine‐tuning the LLMs to achieve the better recommendations for engineers, which improves the traceability process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing complexity and integration of systems present challenges in understanding and managing these systems, as highlighted by the INCOSE Systems Engineering Vision for 2035. This complexity risks system failures due to insufficient understanding. Resilience Engineering is a field that focuses on system behavior in the face of disruptions. However, existing methods to measure resilience, such as probability‐based measures and linear recovery models, are limited by the non‐linear and dynamic nature of modern systems. Bifurcation Analysis, a mathematical system dynamics technique, offers a different perspective by examining how systems behave under changing conditions. This approach, developed in ecology and traditionally applied in fields including power systems and neural networks, can provide insights into the resilient characteristics of non‐linear systems. Despite its promise, Bifurcation Analysis is not usually associated with Resilience Engineering. This paper proposes using Bifurcation Analysis to understand system resilience better and support Resilience Engineering practitioners. It aims to bridge the gap between the two fields, offering a framework for integrating both approaches. This framework is then applied to a model system to demonstrate its potential to enhance the understanding of system resilience. Contributions are an overview of current Resilience Engineering and Bifurcation Analysis, a general‐use framework for practitioners, and an application of this framework. Future work will focus on applying the new framework to more cases, allowing for improved Resilience Engineering, and improving the framework to make it more accessible, versatile, and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the release of the OMG Systems Modeling Language (SysML) (Object Management Group, 2007) there was a surge of enthusiasm for model‐based systems engineering (MBSE). Expectations were high. Cumbersome, fragmented documents would be completely replaced by coherent, fully integrated models. The models would serve as the "Single Version of the Truth" (later transitioning to models being part of the "Authoratative Source of Truth"). While progress has been made, this utopian vision has largely failed to materialize. Certainly tool and language limitations have been a factor. However, the bigger factor in many communities has been human factors challenges. In our enthusiasm to propagate the MBSE vision, we forgot to perform the most basic systems engineering task: stakeholder analysis. This paper will introduce some of the basic human factors issues that were overlooked. The paper will then discuss three concrete cases in which a community was struggling with the abstract, radical change approach and how the teams involved have modified this approach and tooling to make it more practical and successful for those communities. Finally, the paper will conclude with some recommendations to consider when undertaking the introduction of MBSE methods in a new community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) has been utilized within the automotive industry for several years. Increasing complexity due to highly automated, connected vehicles demands methods of coping with this complexity. In most cases, currently, only specific partial aspects or single methods of MBSE are used, which even varies across different companies. This paper aims to examine the current implementation of MBSE based on samples collected from companies acting within the automotive industry. Various aspects are explored, including the scope of application throughout the product life cycle, the use of simulation methods and the collaboration with other disciplines within product development. In the end, an evaluation discusses the reasons for the current state, and recommendations are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demand for efficient, resilient, and sustainable electricity infrastructure has led to the emergence of smart grids as cyber‐physical systems of systems. Co‐simulation has proven an effective tool for their analysis and validation by coordinating independent subsystem simulations. However, the reuse and integration of diverse models in co‐simulation poses challenges, requiring compatibility and integration efforts. In response, this paper proposes a model taxonomy with the purpose of facilitating co‐simulation; it comprises three layers: concrete‐instance models, abstract‐instance models, and type models. The taxonomy contributes to the creation of independently developed models that can be seamlessly integrated into a coupled co‐simulation. Furthermore, it reflects the emergence of digital twins in smart grid engineering by the explicit distinction of abstract and concrete instances. The three‐layer taxonomy was derived and validated through a case study on co‐simulation of electric‐vehicle charging infrastructure. The research further analyzes and formalizes three modeling‐and‐simulation challenges framed through the lens of the taxonomy: the integration of models across all three layers, the merging of layers, and the consolidation of instance models to craft joint co‐simulation scenarios. Finally, three concrete recommendations for research and industrial practice are given. Thereby, the study contributes to the efficient and effective model‐based validation of cyber‐physical systems of systems using co‐simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current state of the practice of Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies, system specification models, and executable system simulations lack the capability of simulation execution within a single system specification model with the fidelity required for time‐dependent simulation towards the design, analysis, and optimization of complex software‐based systems. In this paper we develop and demonstrate a modular simulation‐based MBSE approach capable of filling this gap. To accomplish this within a single system specification model we embed a combination of modeled simulation activities, opaque behaviors, and simulation specific functions to execute and manage the time‐dependent simulation variable arrays. We applied our MBSE approach on the design and analysis of a hybrid on‐prem/cloud data system example that meets the complex, software‐based, and time‐dependent requirements this approach was built to solve. The results show that our approach produces a modular and time‐dependent simulation‐enabled system specification model that accurately estimates cloud‐based system performance and storage cost as a function of time. Emergent system behaviors observed from the simulation results indicate the system model provides foundational design and analysis capabilities that are required for applying system optimization algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies Unified Architecture Framework (UAF) to a case study which defines the global copper market as an enterprise comprising a diverse set of stakeholders and independently operating businesses and industries, with the goal to understand how they might evaluate, execute, or modify their behaviors in response to the diminishing global copper supply. Specifically, we sought to determine if the framework viewpoints, modeling language, and workflow guidance provided in the UAF specification could support the analysis. In a true System of Systems (SoS), the solution (or any improvement) relies on the cooperation of a multitude of independent and unrelated businesses and industries. Several viewpoints of UAF were evaluated to model the SoS, which reveal how certain entities may be motivated to implement solutions, and how those decisions may impact others within the SoS. We also provide observations from the analysis which may serve to improve the utility of UAF in other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data Element Mapping and Analysis (DEMA) represents a new and systematic methodology for the standardized capture, mapping, and analysis of data threads essential for comprehending digital systems and their architecture. This research studies the synergies between DEMA and Systems Modeling Language (SysML). The study aims to enable the systematic creation of digital artifacts using SysML. The results show that DEMA can serve as a complementary tool, enhancing the creation of SysML models by improving knowledge capture and verification processes. The prototype DEMA to SysML framework presented in this work provides the foundation for a systematic methodology to enable the systematic creation of models using SysML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the potential integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) with the Systems Modeling Language version 2 (SysML v2), proposing a novel methodology for systems engineering by capitalizing on the enhanced readability and human‐friendly syntax of SysML v2. Given the emergent sophistication of LLMs and the coincidental development of SysML v2—‐an endeavor that presents a pivot toward naturally articulated model interaction—‐we explore the possibilities and implications of such an intersection. Our investigation posits that LLMs can serve not only as an interpretive layer, allowing for the syntactically simplified manipulation of system models, but also as a catalyst for a knowledge‐driven design approach. We highlight the efficiencies gained by deploying LLMs for SysML v2 interactions, which reduce the dependency on technical expertise traditionally needed for API navigation and model management. Through case studies and analysis, we demonstrate that the conversational engagement with system models facilitated by LLMs can lead to a democratized and accelerated design process. However, this advent is tempered by a critical awareness of potential pitfalls, such as automation bias and overreliance on automated systems—‐underscoring the need for continued human oversight and the examination of ethical considerations. Emphasizing the chance of SysML v2 being inherently English‐based and the parallel maturation of LLMs, this paper suggests that the collaborative utilization of these concurrent advancements may offer an opportune fusion, potentially revolutionizing the way systems are modeled and managed. Future work involves the empirical validation of these approaches and a deeper investigation into interoperability with existing and future systems engineering ecosystems. The ultimate goal is to ensure that this fusion not only complements human expertise but also propels systems engineering into a new era of innovation and holistic design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an innovative problem/system decomposition approach. Unlike the conventional method, where stakeholder requirements are transformed into system requirements for the system‐of‐interest (SOI), the new approach involves decomposing stakeholder requirements into specifications for modified context subsystems. These subsystems comprise elements from both the SOI and its surrounding context. The new approach offers two key strengths. Firstly, an enhanced contextual relationship. The approach naturally establishes a relationship between the SOI and its context across various abstraction levels. This contextual linkage fosters modularity and agility within the system. Secondly the new approach enables precise functionality definition. Unlike mere declarations, the new approach allows for explicit functionality definition at all levels. Consequently, we can formulate executable requirements, enabling system simulation across all system levels. Very early integration, verification, and validation become possible as a result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aircraft systems development is complex and time‐consuming. Model‐based Product Line Engineering (MBPLE) aims to reuse assets between projects to accelerate the development of systems at their early stage. Despite guidance from standards, MBPLE practitioners still face the challenge of deploying an appropriate configuration management strategy. This paper presents and demonstrates a configuration management strategy to support practitioners deploying MBPLE for aircraft systems development. We developed this strategy to comply with ISO/IEC 26580 and address pending standard ambiguities using best practices from product lines for systems, software, business processes, and systems of systems. The proposed strategy supports long‐term product line evolution, management of different asset types, and independent product environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software and Systems engineering projects in the Automotive industry are often mandated to develop according to the Automotive SPICE® standard. Despite a highly qualified workforce, many projects or organizations fail to implement compliant processes. This paper reinterprets the Automotive SPICE® standard, viewing its base practices as process requirements. Using a set of quality criteria for requirements, the subsequent evaluation of base practices for quality results in an aggregate and individual analysis of the ASPICE base practices. The analyses reveal, amongst others, deficiencies in the aspects of singularity, unambiguity, and reasoning structure. The paper proposes a public, collaborative effort to enrich the requirements with purpose, detail, and structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of document‐centric systems engineering, large organizations developing complex systems had practical methods of associating drawings, specifications, requirements and other information with each other. Mostly these evolved methods involved part numbers and drawing numbers, although sometimes the methods included mundane techniques such as storing drawings in specific drawers in specific filing cabinets. These manual methods were very labor intensive, did not handle changes gracefully, and were somewhat error prone. As computer software and modeling tools began to displace paper drawings and filing cabinets, a "connect and forget" style of linking evolved. We can see this sort of thinking in the relationships in UML and SysML, but also in other places such as the use of Universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) in the XMI file format underlying UML/SysML, the relationships in DOORS and related requirements tools, as well as the original architecture of OSLC which depended on URIs embedded in design artifacts to establish relationships. While these "click to connect" features provided increased convenience compared to the previous manual numbering approaches, these "hard‐coded" links have introduced a new set of problems. The root of most of the new problems comes in the difficulty of managing this sort of extremely large set of direct links as configuration items in their own right. In a larger system, this sort of link set quickly grows to thousands or even millions of links. Managing change, modularity, variants, subsystem reuse, and so on all become very difficult in the presence of such a large, unplanned, and uncontrolled link set. In this paper, we will review the different approaches to creating and managing such sets of links and provide a concise best practices recommendation for the configuration management of such sets of links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid advancement and diversification of technical domains, particularly in automotive and smart grid sectors, are pivotal in driving the emerging energy revolution. This evolution is instrumental in governing the future of smart cities, characterized by escalating complexity and diversity within these domains. Such a landscape necessitates seamless collaboration among various domain experts, a task often complicated by the prevalent use of domain‐specific languages and tools tailored to specific engineering needs. This poses a significant challenge towards cross‐domain interoperability. Addressing this challenge, our research introduces a novel approach leveraging abstraction layers inspired by the Software Platform Embedded Systems (SPES) methodology. This approach aims to enhance the compatibility of domain‐specific frameworks, with a focus on the Smart Grid Architecture Model (SGAM) and the Automotive Reference Architecture Model (ARAM). By applying these SPES‐inspired abstraction layers, our work facilitates the reconciliation of varying levels of detail across different domains. The paper culminates in a proof of concept that demonstrates the practical implementation of this approach, showcasing a method to achieve effective cross‐domain interoperability. This implementation not only underscores the feasibility of our proposed solution but also illuminates a pathway for managing the intricate interplay of systems in the rapidly evolving landscape of smart cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the growing complexity of engineering systems, optimization of logical architectures is becoming fundamental in the economy of the Systems Engineering process. Clusters of functions that are highly interacting with each other should be identified, while minimizing dependencies across the resulting modules. To this purpose, one can consider the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) describing relation between functions and permute its rows and columns to recover a block‐diagonal structure with single or double border, with blocks corresponding to clusters of functions and borders to bus‐like elements. This paper proposes a method to achieve this by partitioning the nodes of an undirected graph representation of the DSM. More precisely, starting from the DSM structure, a Markov chain is introduced by associating probabilities to transitions between nodes, which are then clustered based on the similarity among the probability distributions originating from them using a hierarchical clustering scheme. Interestingly, the method does not require any prior knowledge of system structure (e.g. the number of clusters), and it is computationally less demanding than competing algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of its initiative to promote the adoption of model‐based approaches in the development of present and upcoming missions, the European Space Agency (ESA) organised this year its annual workshop on Model‐Based Space Systems and Software Engineering (MBSE2023) at its European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) premises. The aim of this year's workshop was to investigate how the model‐based systems engineering community could contribute to bridging the gap with domain‐specific model‐based approaches used in subsystem design. The World Café Method was used to facilitate the group discussions, the outcomes of which are summarized and presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotorcrafts are very complex systems that require a huge systems engineering effort to design, implement and integrate. A successful aircraft design is a matter of good integration between engineering disciplines and suppliers just as much as it is about finding a good technical solution to the customers' expectations. This issue is well understood within the industry and competent authorities. Companies now face the challenge of transitioning from integrating complex systems to make an aircraft (as per ARP4754) to engineering and collating a complex aircraft system as per ARP4754A: in other words, the focus shifted to a more holistic view to the aircraft development, a game changer in all respects. Leonardo Helicopters is tailoring its internal processes to reflect this change and challenge. While the ideal process can be defined today, the transition takes time and a significant change in culture and organization needs to take place. To support the transition, the authors have developed a hybrid approach to the aircraft architecture and system requirements definition process. This new approach leverages existing expertise at a system level to facilitate the integration between systems and the subsequent migration to bridge the gap with the aircraft engineering activities required by the ARP4754A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Space Agency (ESA) has been developing an MBSE Methodology to address the increased digitalization of systems engineering and facilitate the complex system development in ESA projects and other European space projects. The methodology is based on the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) standards for Systems Engineering, and feedback from projects using the methodology. By using the ECSS standards as the starting point, the processes, terminology and expected outputs are familiar to the engineers, lowering the usage barrier within the Agency. This paper describes the background of and effort for establishing the MBSE methodology and a description of the methodology. The paper also reports on the current efforts at ESA for deploying MBSE and the way forward regarding the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing transformation in the industry from a document‐based systems engineering to a model‐based systems engineering approach reveals gaps in existing modeling standards. Evolution of standards is inevitable. A de facto standard modeling language, SysML (Systems Modeling Language), is undergoing a major transformation in its evolution, with the introduction of SysML version 2, which is a complete redesign of the language architecture. With the major update of SysML, all related standards need to be redesigned. The Unified Architecture Framework (UAF) is not an exception. UAF version 2 is a future version of the standard to be based on SysML V2. Currently, the development of UAF based on SysML V2 is in the very early stages, and various organizations involved in its development are independently researching the way forward. This paper describes one of the research projects to test the feasibility of SysML V2 to address UAF community needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]