English

Circular Systems Engineering

Computers and Society 2024-04-22 v4 Software Engineering Systems and Control Systems and Control

Abstract

The perception of the value and propriety of modern engineered systems is changing. In addition to their functional and extra-functional properties, nowadays' systems are also evaluated by their sustainability properties. The next generation of systems will be characterized by an overall elevated sustainability -- including their post-life, driven by efficient value retention mechanisms. Current systems engineering practices fall short of supporting these ambitions and need to be revised appropriately. In this paper, we introduce the concept of circular systems engineering, a novel paradigm for systems sustainability, and define two principles to successfully implement it: end-to-end sustainability and bipartite sustainability. We outline typical organizational evolution patterns that lead to the implementation and adoption of circularity principles, and outline key challenges and research opportunities.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2306.17808,
  title  = {Circular Systems Engineering},
  author = {Istvan David and Dominik Bork and Gerti Kappel},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2306.17808},
  year   = {2024}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-28T11:19:11.519Z