The paper addresses a critical challenge in System-of-Systems (SoS) simulations arising from the different granularity levels in SoS simulations, integrating non-coupled Discrete Element Method results into SoS-level Discrete Event Simulations using surrogate modeling. Illustrated with a wheel loader bucket use-case in mining, it enhances early design decision-making and lays the groundwork for improving SoS simulations in construction equipment design. This paves the way for broader research and application across diverse engineering design domains.

In the context of system of systems (SoS) engineering, the incorporation of design principles is critical to guide the engineering process. This paper presents a systematic literature review to synthesize a list of principles tailored for SoS. 26 principles were identified as generic principles and 39 were mapped to the specific challenges in SoS engineering. Through an evaluation using the principle of modularisation in the design of a charging infrastructure, the study offers insights into the real-world effectiveness of these principles, showing their relevance in SoS engineering tasks.

Innovation plays a vital role in ensuring sustainable mining operations. Electrification and autonomy are two significant trends, but their implementation brings complexity at vehicle and site levels. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how these technologies impact the overall site value creation. This paper suggests a hybrid approach that combines Agent-Based Simulation and vehicle dynamics modeling to explore site configurations. By regarding a mining site as a System-of-Systems, designers can concurrently test different designs to find the optimal combination for a specific scenario.

This paper analyzes the potential of crossdisciplinary collaboration in the methodical development of Modular Design by harmonization asynchronous mechatronic system structures. Subsystem boundaries in multidisciplinary development processes are set disciplinespecific, resulting in inconsistencies in module fitting. Based on a case study, harmonization of disciplines is elaborated as a solution. This aligns discipline structures and reduces effects on the variety in system structures.This implementation shows support for modular design and enables an integrated view as a systems-in-system.

Due to the increasing smartization of products and the ecosystems in which they are typically embedded, holistic considerations of future value-added systems are becoming increasingly important. This also determines fundamentally new challenges for the engineering of the future's smart Products. In order to be able to address the increasingly fuzzy system boundaries associated with this, this contribution introduces a System of Systems Engineering Lifecycle Concept considering smart products and services as core components of connected System of Systems ecosystems. Main characteristics of smart products and system of systems are discussed and in a real existing scenario of a sustainable landfill the presented System of Systems Engineering Lifecycle Concept is used as a System of Systems Framework for the given Use-Case.

Engineered system architectures leveraging collaboration among multiple actors across organizational boundaries are envisioned to be more flexible, robust, or efficient than independent alternatives but also carry significant downside risks from new interdependencies added between constituents. This paper transitions the concept of risk dominance from equilibrium selection in game theory to engineering design as a strategic measure of collective stability for system of systems. A proposed method characterizes system design as a bi-level problem with two or more asymmetric decision-makers. A measure of risk dominance assesses strategic dynamics with respect to the stability of joint or collaborative architectures relative to independent alternatives using a novel linearization technique to approximate linear incentives among actors. An illustrative example case for an asymmetric three-player design scenario shows how strategic risk dominance can identify and mitigate architectures with unstable risk-reward dynamics.

Product development, especially in aerospace, has become more and more interconnected with its operational environment. In a constant changing world, the operational environment will be subjected to changes during the life cycle of the product. The operational environment will be affected by not only technical and non-technical perturbations, but also economical, managerial and regulatory decisions, thus requiring a more global product development approach. One way to try tackling such complex and intertwined problem advocates studying the envisioned product or system in the context of system of systems (SoS) engineering. SoSs are all around us, probably in any field of engineering, ranging from integrated transport systems, public infrastructure systems to modern homes equipped with sensors and smart appliances; from cities filling with autonomous vehicle to defence systems.

Since also aerospace systems are certainly affected, this work will present a holistic approach to aerospace product development that tries spanning from needs to technology assessment. The proposed approach will be presented and analysed and key enablers and future research directions will be highlighted from an interdisciplinary point of view. Consideration of the surrounding world will require to look beyond classical engineering disciplines.

Product Service Systems (PSS) are increasingly complex and collaborative. For instance, manufacturing companies, service providers, and other companies collaborate and jointly develop and operate a PSS (ex: smart grid), where its constituent elements are managed and operated independently. Managerial independence and operational independence are commonly considered key characteristics of a System of Systems (SoS). Hence, a collaborative PSS exhibits System of Systems (SoSs) characteristics. These systems have previously been introduced as Product Service Systems of Systems (PSSoSs). In this paper, we propose to identify relevant uncertainties in the PSSoS design process. For this purpose, we go beyond the PSSoS concept definition and propose a comprehensive framework for PSS and PSSoS characterization. Moreover, based on both a literature review and an industrial diagnosis, we identify PSSoSs-specific design uncertainties.

The global banking system can be shown to be a Complex Adaptive System that exhibits phase transitions from time to time. These phase transitions can result in significant financial losses to the community that we estimate to be much more significant than losses occurring during “business as usual” periods. In this paper, we argue that the significant losses arising from phase transitions in the banking system requires a very different approach to regulation than the current Basel regime, and that there is a need to transition the Basel regime from a Federation of Systems to a System of Systems. We demonstrate that the World Health Organisation’s recent management system for pandemics is ideally suited for management of the global banking system and would have greater potential to control the phase transition losses than the current Basel system.