Conference Agenda

The increasing proportion of software in technical products means that both the products and the associated development processes are becoming more complex. An integration of the existing lifecycle considerations Application Lifecycle Management and Product Lifecycle Management into an interdisciplinary System Lifecycle Management promises to make the complexity manageable. To obtain an overview of the current benefits, challenges, requirements, approaches and open research gaps in the context of an ALM-PLM integration, this contribution presents the results of a Systematic Literature Review.

The evolving needs of customers and stakeholders necessitate the collaboration of diverse system elements within a cyber-physical, socio-technical network. Socio-technical systems are characterized by numerous complex interdependencies as well as by endogenous and exogenous influences. A key issue that developers must address is the mitigation of data and information uncertainties. The authors introduce an approach that operationalizes Design Thinking as a supporting sufficient condition within the context of designing system models in the realm of Model-Based Systems Engineering.

The paper investigates approaches for implementing circular economy strategies, such as designing mechatronic products for longer service life by replacing, upgrading, or remanufacturing subsystems. The research aims at applying MBSE to provide the necessary support for dealing with the complexity of these approaches. Requirements and challenges for the development of MBSE support in this context are examined. An example of an EV battery system model shows the benefits and challenges of comprehensive system modelling and traceability in the context of circular economy strategies.

We have a unique opportunity to consider justice in our design of a cleaner energy system. This paper introduces the Justice-Embedded Requirements Engineering (JERE) process, which was created to enable engineers to consider project goals, requirements, and potential project impacts on historically marginalized, climate-vulnerable communities. Given JERE’s focus on energy technologies, we demonstrate the process using a concentrating solar power example. JERE provides engineers with a tool to better ensure justice is embedded in the system design process from the beginning.

Implementing a product design that incorporates circular economy aspects is a highly intricate task. Its complexity stems from various aspects, such as the interdependent solution space and the challenge to evaluate the impact of circular design in early development phases. To facilitate informed decision-making, a support system is necessary that integrates product-oriented circular measures, and derives their effect on the product’s design and its circularity. We present an approach for such a support system, including its evaluation on the design of an automotive center console.

The European Green Deal aims to reduce global emissions by minimizing the use of resources. Early validation of products helps to reduce rework, costs and therefore resources. However, validation of complex mechatronic products is challenging due to interdependencies. Companies are applying systems engineering to meet this challenge. Current validation approaches are insufficient in the early design phases. This paper presents an approach to validation using the system architecture in the B2B sector. A machine tool and a custom built machine are presented as evaluation examples.