Systematic thinkers are the engineers of the future

“Engineers are often in too much of a hurry to find solutions. We don't take enough time to get to the bottom of a problem and understand the context,” says Jeroen Voeten, scientific director of the High Tech Systems Center (HTSC) at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). This may sound paradoxical: our society faces significant challenges, like the energy transition. It may appear ideal for engineers to speed up and discover solutions, but this is tougher in practice.

According to Voeten, those working quickly towards a solution often have the wrong one in mind. It is, therefore, essential to fully understand a problem before looking for solutions. Overseeing the whole scenario is the pre-eminent task of systems engineers. Examples are the completion of a process in a company or the development of a fully-functional product.

Building a bridge

“Systems engineers build the bridge between the technology and the user. To translate this into a system design, you need to have knowledge of various domains and understand the language of the other disciplines,” says Tom Castenmiller, Senior Systems Engineer at ASML and fellow at the HTSC. Engineers currently acquire this knowledge after years of experience in the field. “A good systems engineer can deal with uncertainties and act on his intuition by identifying and objectifying them. Training to learn the basic principles of design and to experience how uncertainties play a role in the design process is thus important. It can be done, for example, through a challenge-based learning project.”

Special quality

System thinking is not a skill that can be quickly learned, agrees Pascal Etman, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at the TU/e. “It is an attitude or a quality that is not present to the same degree in everyone. It is good that students are already introduced to this way of working during their training. They can build their careers around it if it appeals to them.”

Pascal Etman ©Bart van Overbeeke

According to Ton Peijnenburg, CTO at VDL Enabling Technologies Group and fellow at the HTSC, learning and developing systems thinking is essential even after finishing studies. “Graduating does not make you a good systems thinker - and it doesn't happen by itself. It is important to continue developing yourself in this area.” That is why the NXTGEN Hightech program includes a continuous learning path for systems engineering.

Chip machines

Chip machines are a good example of complex systems. “They must work with extreme precision, productivity must be incredibly high, and there is virtually no room for error,” says Castenmiller. The TU/e is among the world's top universities regarding research in the semiconductor industry. To remain at the forefront, the university wants to strengthen its key position in the coming years, including through the Future Chips Flagship. Through its research, the university contributes to solving technological challenges in the semiconductor industry and, through education, trains the much-needed talent in the sector.

Voeten: “In the future, companies in the chip industry, such as ASML and NXP, will need each other even more to develop the next generation of chips. That is why it is important to put systems thinking on the map in the Netherlands.”

Castenmiller thinks one step further: “Ultimately, other industries that utilize similar qualities and skills can also learn from the experiences we gain in the high-tech sector. This way, we can better use each other's knowledge.”

Training more systems engineers

The increasing complexity of technologies is driving up the demand for systems engineers. The TU/e is investigating possibilities for training more and better systems engineers. “Previously, knowledge was transferred from a professor or mentor to a student. That knowledge was mainly focused on one specific field,” says Voeten. Future designers and engineers need to be able to look beyond disciplines. That is why the HTSC organized a symposium on 18 February on system engineering and complexity in high-tech equipment, together with NXTGEN Hightech program from the National Growth Fund.

© Bart van Overbeeke

Challenge-based learning

The TU/e is taking various steps to teach students more about systems thinking and how to work together in multidisciplinary teams. Challenge-based learning is an integral part of this. Students work together in an interdisciplinary team and are given a challenge – by the teacher or from the business community – for which they must find a solution.

In that context, a group of students worked on an open challenge together with DAF. How can you make batteries for electric trucks as sustainable as possible, give them a second life, and make a business out of it? The truck manufacturer posed this question to a group of students. Voeten: “Students are not presented with a ready-made plan to solve the problem but with an open challenge. That helps them think creatively, work together, and deal with uncertainties.” The thirty student teams on the TU/e campus also often work on multidisciplinary system challenges, gaining valuable experience. The teams focus on making mobility more sustainable or building a circular house, for example.

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New methods for collaboration

The TU/e is researching how future systems engineers can work together more effectively. “One person can never oversee the entire system, so the weight of decisions must be distributed among several people,” says Pascal Etman. “But decisions influence each other, requiring an integrated system solution. Formal models and methods from fundamental research can help improve such a decision-making process.”

Castenmiller: “A good approach helps with complicated problems, but uncertainties play a role in complex issues. We do not know what will be technologically possible in three years, but we still have to consider that uncertainty in our choices.” That is why researchers work with different scenarios. Etman adds: “In this way, we explore various possibilities and adjust where necessary. This specific way of working is not self-evident for many students. They have to learn to deal with this.”

Cooperation is important

Peijnenburg believes good cooperation between the university and the business community is vital to train good systems thinkers. Thanks to the Brainport collaboration, the TU/e has been connected to high-tech companies such as ASML, NXP, and Philips for years, and recently to their suppliers such as VDL. “We can fathom the complexity of the high-tech systems in the region. We work closely together and have a smooth way of doing business. Everyone is flexible and thinks along with us.”

Knowledge institutes and companies in the Brainport region understand the art of collaboration. That is fertile ground for improving systems thinking. Jeroen Voeten, scientific director of the HTSC, sees it the same way. “Both scientists and people from the business community feel the urgency to take steps in systems thinking. But it is not easy to put this into practice. A symposium helps people to meet each other and get a better grip on the concept of complexity in high-tech machine development. Together we look for the most optimal scenarios to remain successful in the region in the future.”